Pazardzhik Elections: Peevski's DPS Secures Top Spot as Turnout Reaches 35%

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS-New Beginning) has emerged as the leading political force in the repeat elections for municipal councilors in Pazardzhik, according to interim data from the Municipal Election Commission (MEC). With 127 of the 151 sectional protocols processed, the party led by Delyan Peevski secured 17.63% of the vote. The coalition “We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) follows in second place with 12.41%, while the “Svoboda” (Freedom) party, led by businessman Rumen Dimitrov, a former associate of ex-mayor Todor Popov, ranks third with 9.48%.

“BSP–United Left” occupies fourth position, followed by the VMRO-BND coalition with SSD, headed by Popov, in fifth, and GERB in sixth place. Voter turnout reached 35.09%, with 34,008 ballots cast. The newly elected 41-member Municipal Council will serve until 2027.

Radoslav Revanski, deputy chairman of the DPS, told the national radio that the results demonstrate the public’s desire for change. “People in Pazardzhik, just like across Bulgaria, want a new beginning. We will deliver on our promises and give the municipality new momentum,” he said. Revanski also commented on tensions during election day, noting reports of threats and accusations of vote buying, which he described as “chaotic.”

Local police later clarified that no evidence of vote buying was found. Miroslav Stoyanov, spokesperson for the Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry in Pazardzhik, said that a signal had been received through the 112 hotline about two “suspicious” cars in the Roma neighborhood of the village of Ognyanovo. The vehicles were stopped, and five individuals were questioned, but searches revealed no materials related to vote buying. “There is no reason for their detention,” Stoyanov added.

The repeat vote was the first of its kind in Pazardzhik’s history, ordered after the court annulled the results of the previous election due to procedural violations. MEC chairman Stefan Dimitrov confirmed on Nova TV that only a small number of protocols, between 10 and 15, remain to be processed. “DPS–New Beginning leads with 17.63%, or 4,416 votes,” Dimitrov said, emphasizing that the advantage was decisive.

According to the latest figures, WCC-DB remains second with 12.41%, followed by “Svoboda” with 9.48%, BSP with 7.45%, GERB with 6.29%, and VMRO-BND in sixth position. Turnout was slightly above 35.9%, which Dimitrov described as “stable” given the repeated nature of the election and the record number of candidates participating.

Election day was marked by tension, particularly in Ognyanovo, where local residents attempted to carry out “citizen arrests.” Gendarmerie units were deployed to restore order. Despite the disturbances, Dimitrov said the MEC had not received official reports of vote buying. “Most of the signals we received concerned illegal campaigning, about 20 in total, mainly involving people distributing campaign materials on election day,” he explained.

Dimitrov confirmed that surveillance cameras in polling stations functioned as required and were deactivated only after the sectional commissions had signed their final protocols. He acknowledged, however, that minor errors were found in some election papers, mostly due to “nervousness and confusion” during vote counting. “Some inconsistencies were noted in the voter lists, but they do not affect the overall result,” he added.