Bulgaria's Ruling Party 'Not Underestimating Elections' - Presidential Candidate

Politics » DOMESTIC | October 3, 2016, Monday // 11:16
Bulgaria: Bulgaria's Ruling Party 'Not Underestimating Elections' - Presidential Candidate Parliament Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva and Vice Admiral Plamen Manushev, the presidential pair of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's party, after the announcement on October 02, 2016. Photo: BGNES

Parliament Speaker and presidential candidate Tsetska Tsacheva has made clear her party refrained from announcing her nomination earlier to preserve any disruption of work at Parliament.

Tsacheva, whose candidacy was announced just two days before the presidential campaign, has told the Bulgarian National Television that Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and his party didn't want to hinder legislative activity at a time key bills were to be adopted.

A day after her official nomination, she has made the claim to fend off accusations hurled from opponents, who say GERB seeks to sabotage the elections by delaying the announcement. Earlier, officials have suggested GERB's idea was to protect the candidate from a smear campaign.

Tsacheva has said that Bulgaria should maintain dialogue "with all the remaining capitals," referring to the need to pursue relations with both Euro-Atlantic partners and third countries.

She has also refuted claims of being a "left-wing" candidate (GERB positions itself as a conservative party) due to her previous membership in the Bulgarian Communist Party (she was part of BKP, which ruled Bulgaria in the Cold War, until 1989, the year democratic changes begun). "I would be concerned if such [accusations weren't hurled, since it would mean a dull candidacy has been proposed."

She has refrained from assessing the incumbent head of state, Rosen Plevneliev, explaining his term is still ongoing and that he managed to "send good messages in hard times - two caretaker governments, early elections."

But she has added that "the forms of dialogue should have been carried out differently."

Asked to comment on the statement of Borisov, who vowed to run in the 2021 presidential elections and whether she sees herself as a warm-up for Borisov's prospective candidacy, she has said his words were "taken out of context". Borisov was just replying to critics for GERB's delayed announcement and joked he would announced an own bid as early as now so that the opponents are prepared, she has said.

Borisov, in an earlier interview, makes clear he will enter the presidential race in 2021. On Sunday, unveiling Tsacheva's nomination, he asserted that it was more convenient for him to run now, but he preferred not to put Bulgaria's governance in jeopardy at the moment.

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Tags: Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov, Tsetska Tsacheva, Presidential elections, GERB, Rosen Plevneliev, BKP

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