Nikolai Denkov, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria, asserted on bTV that the electoral success of GERB and “DPS-New Beginning” is largely attributed to bought and controlled votes. He highlighted reports of vote-buying and threats directed at mayors, indicating widespread misconduct across the country.
Denkov characterized Delyan Peevski as the greatest threat within Bulgaria’s political landscape, reiterating his previous comments. “What we witnessed in these elections is another manifestation of this evil. Peevski is adept at effectively concluding his organizational efforts. Now it is time to bring an end to GERB,” he stated.
He noted that the GERB and “DPS-New Beginning” alliance was evident during the elections, complicating efforts to overcome their influence. Despite a significant decline in support for “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) in the June elections, Denkov mentioned that they are gradually stabilizing their results and beginning to regain public trust, though he acknowledged more work remains.
Denkov emphasized the importance of forming a government that prioritizes the interests of the people and businesses rather than legitimizing Peevski‘s schemes. He urged Boyko Borissov to choose between aligning with Peevski towards a dictatorship or supporting Bulgaria’s European development by distancing himself from Peevski.
Kiril Petkov, co-chairman of “We Continue the Change,” echoed Denkov‘s call for a “sanitary cordon” around “DPS-New Beginning.” He stated that the largest political party bears the responsibility of forming a government and proposed signing a declaration affirming that GERB is not reliant on Delyan Peevski before engaging in discussions. Petkov also made it clear that they will not support Borissov as prime minister or partner with the pro-Russian party “Revival” (Vazrazhdane)
Regarding the potential annulment of the election results due to evidence of vote-buying from the Ministry of the Interior, Petkov acknowledged that the likelihood of this occurring is minimal. He proposed several achievable tasks, including initiating work by the Anti-Corruption Commission and introducing a legislative measure preventing a Supreme Judicial Council with an expired mandate from electing a chief prosecutor, thereby thwarting the appointment of Borislav Sarafov.