Foreign Minister Sets to Recall Bulgaria Ambassadors to US, Turkey

Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva has offered the recall of Bulgaria’s Ambassadors to the USA and Turkey over violations during the July 2009 Parliamentary Elections.

Jeleva met with the two Ambassadors – Branimir Mladenov and Lachezar Petkov – on Monday as they were summoned to give explanations for the reported violations they were involved in, or allowed to happen.

Bulgaria’s Ambassador to the USA, Lachezar Petkov, may be recalled over the disappearing of documentation from the voting in Bulgaria’s July Parliamentary Elections. Ambassador Petkov has admitted that documents from the elections that had been supposed to be mailed to Bulgaria had been trashed by the janitor and her husband. Yet, in his words the ambassador should not be blamed for that; the written testimonies of those responsible have been sent to the Foreign Ministry.

Minister Jeleva has not specified what disciplinary violations may cause the recall of Bulgaria’s Ambassador to Turkey, Branimir Mladenov.

"From what I saw about the way the elections were held in our missions abroad, I am firmly convinced that we do need a brand new electoral code," Jeleva said Tuesday.

Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers is expected to decide on the recall of the two diplomats during its Wednesday’s meeting.

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