Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission Denies Registration for DPS Factions

The Bulgarian Central Election Commission (CEC) has denied registration for the electoral participation of two factions: "Democracy, Rights and Freedoms - DPS," led by Jevdet Chakarov and Ahmed Dogan, and "Movement for Rights and Freedoms - DPS New Beginning," associated with Delyan Peevski. The CEC cited a violation of Article 127 of the Electoral Code, which stipulates that each party can participate in elections either independently or in coalition with other parties, but not in multiple coalitions simultaneously.

CEC Deputy Chairman Tsvetozar Tomov noted that while the parties involved were instructed to address discrepancies via email, phone, and in person, they failed to provide the necessary documents by the 5 p.m. deadline on September 7. Although documents were submitted later, including a withdrawal of objections, the CEC decided to refuse registration for both factions. Tomov emphasized that the issue was rooted in internal party conflicts, with both factions submitting documents for participation in two different coalitions.

All 15 CEC members voted in favor of refusing registration for both "Democracy, Rights and Freedoms - DPS" and "Movement for Rights and Freedoms - DPS New Beginning." The decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court within three days. Earlier, Iva Lazarova, Chairman of the Public Council at the CEC, had predicted the refusals and noted that neither faction had complied with the CEC's instructions.

Lazarova also observed that the decisions reflected the ongoing divisions within the traditional parties, particularly after the 1990s, with visible biases in the CEC's voting patterns. The presence of members and the required 2/3 majority often influence decision outcomes, which can be impacted by the varying attendance of CEC members at meetings.