Bulgarian news

[MD12]

It seems there is a problem currently with the Bulgarian elctions, where the nationalist party Ataka led by Mr Volen Siderov (whom JMLP visited earlier this month) is set to do well. Check -

http://www.forumpatriote.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=267559#267559

An article on this -

Bulgaria municipal elections - problems ranging from lack of ballots to vote-buying
23:15 Sun 28 Oct 2007 - Reporting by the sofiaecho.com elections team

Problems during the municipal elections on October 28 ranged from a lack of voting ballots and vote-buying to accusations of transparent ballots which did not protect voters' secrecy of vote.

Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said on October 28 that vote-buying in these elections could not be ignored. In total, he said, 66 warnings had been received by the Interior Ministry, of which so far 16 had led to written statements.

Interior Minster Roumen Petkov said "society needs to think about where this is going." It was the first time there had been no tolerance for vote-buying, Petkov said. As a consequence, it had been the first elections with arrests, the first elections where people would be prosecuted and the first elections where the police had knowledge about roughly 30 cases of vote-buying, he said.

A new country had emerged as a source of election tourism, Stanishev said. According to estimates, about 2 800 Macedonians had crossed the border, in order to cast their votes. Most had travelled to Blagoevgrad and Sandanski, Stanishev said.

Tourism from Turkey for the period around the elections had been up with 8 500 to 10 000 visitors, Stanishev added.

In Sandanski and the town of Stemenshitsa near Petrich, voting was interrupted as polling stations ran out of ballots. New ballots were brought to the stations, after which voting resumed later in the evening.

In several places in Bulgaria vote-buying was reported, a vote was said to cost between 20 and 100 leva.

In Topolovgrad, two people were arrested, who offered 80 leva per vote, and a third was arrested for offering money for votes in Blagoevgrad, Dnevnik daily said.

In the Izgrev neighbourhood in Bulgaria's eastern town of Dobrich, Roma's threatened to boycott the elections after a row over vote-buying accusations the night before elections. A man was reportedly going from door to door, offering 20 leva per vote. Police arrested the man, but soon after released him again.

In the town of Silistra, police started an preliminary investigation was started against a man for handing out 250 bags of flour in the Roma neighbourhood of Karoto. In Haraya, sausages had been handed out with party stickers, Bulgarian National Television said.

In Razgrad, a statement was drawn up against a woman who had taken a picture of her vote with a mobile phone. The witness who saw her take the picture also would also be punished for entering the voting booth, Dnevnik said.

Both Ataka and the election team of Martin Zaimov announced they would file a complaint with the Central Election Committee (CEC) for violation of the secrecy of voting because the thin paper used for the ballots.

To BNT, Volen Siderov, leader of Ataka, said "this is something scandalous for Sofia. We do not see leaders of other political parties. It's a scandal that should not be skipped over as something minor; it's affecting the whole country. Which firm made these ballots? Ballots should be indestructible. Gypsy votes are being bought."

In the days before the elections more busses than usual arrived from Turkey in Bulgaria. Bulgarians, who live in Turkey, came to visit family and cast their ballot. From Kurdzjali, around 20 busses were expected to leave for Turkey again in the evening of October 28, BNT said.

Voters have been said to be requesting stamps from the committees in the polling stations on their international passports or bus tickets for the return trip from Turkey, as a confirmation that they had voted. Complaints against this have been filed in Dobrich, Haskovo, Ihtiman and Novi Pazar, spokesperson for the CEC Aleksandur Aleksandrov said.

In Rouse the chairperson of the CEC was reliefed from his function for placing stamps on international passports.

Punishment for placing these stamps was a fine of up to 5 000 leva, CEC said.

Source - The Sofia Echo

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Ataka to consolidate its position as third political force - Siderov
08:20 Mon 29 Oct 2007

Reporting by the sofiaecho.com elections team - Petar Kostadinov, Elitsa Grancharova, Elena Koinova, Elitsa Savova, Rene Beekman, Clive Leviev-Sawyer and Magdalena Rahn

Leader of Ataka, Volen Siderov said at the press conference that Ataka would consolidate its position as one of the three major political forces.
He expected Ataka candidates to reach second rounds in Bourgas and Yambol. In Blagoevgrad and in Kyustendil, the candidates supported by Ataka were first in the first round.

Siderov said that Ataka would start to prepare for Parliamentary elections from the day after the municipal elections.

"People seem to prefer to feed themselves with promises instead of real food," Ataka candidate in Sofia, Slavi Binev said.

"Sofians have no right to complain. They have to accept the difficulties in the next four year," Binev added.

[MD12]

The Most Fake and Corrupt Elections in Bulgaria's History

We already made a complained in Sofia's Administrative Court about votes' buying on the local elections, stated the leader of Ataka party Volen Siderov.



There are hundred of bargained cities nationwide, declared Siderov. These are the most faked and corrupt elections in the history of Bulgaria, Ataka's leader added.

This win is 100% fake, he continued, accusing straightly GERB party in buying and recruitment of Central Election Committee's officials.

For me Borisov is a fake winner. Siderov also informed that in many sections in the capital and in the country the number of Ataka's voting papers was decreased drastically.

A total of 14,000-15,000 votes for Ataka were not counted, which is 3-4 councilors in Sofia.

By all means it's necessary to be made canceling of the elections, annulment of the results and leading of new vote, stated Siderov.



The chairman of ‘New Time' party Emil Koshlukov declared that at least in 30 municipalities categorically exists buying of votes, like in Ardino (the Turkish buses advent). He also demanded for canceling of the elections.

Main fault for the big number of corrupt votes, according to Koshlukov, belongs to the Minister of State Administration Nikolai Vasilev, Central Election Committee and the chairperson of the committee and chiefs of sections' commissions.

Two are the criteria, which characterize the democracy - multi-party system and free and fair elections, Koshlikov added.

Source - http://international.ibox.bg