Ex Bulgarian PM Voices Unwavering Faith in Embattled Deputy

Politics » DOMESTIC | April 25, 2013, Thursday // 15:38
Ex Bulgarian PM Voices Unwavering Faith in Embattled Deputy: Ex Bulgarian PM Voices Unwavering Faith in Embattled Deputy From left to right: former GERB Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, former Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, and former PM, Boyko Borisov. Photo by BGNES

The leader of GERB and former Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, declared Thursday he was not going to ask the resignation of his former Deputy and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, over allegations the latter has been illegally spying on senior politicians.

Borisov commented on the heels of statements of Miroslav Naydenov, former Agriculture Minister in the Cabinet of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, who insisted in a TV interview that Tsvetanov has been illegally using the Interior and special surveillance devices to blackmail everyone in the former Cabinet and prevent them from becoming a favorite of Borisov, thus his rival.

Naydenov was questioned by the Prosecutor's Office in the aftermath of his first interview ever since he was charged with corruption and was provided with special security guards, while the opposition, left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, called on both Borisov and Tsvetanov to step down from politics.

Speaking from the southern town of Zlatograd, where he has been campaigning for the May 12 snap general elections, the former PM stated Tsvetanov was the engine of GERB and extremely valuable as a person, politician, and election campaign manager.

"No good deed goes unpunished, of course. I pray that everyone who wants him dismissed comes to their senses and I am convinced the truth would prevail. I believe in Chief Prosecutor, Sotir Tsatsarov, and stand firm behind him. Naydenov is the last person to complain about Tsvetanov because he has always firmly supported him and defended him when others asked for his resignation as he believed he was doing good things for farming and the food industry. The former Agriculture Minister never ever told me about this spying on me and other Cabinet members. And Tsvetanov has sworn before me on his own children that he would never wiretap me. I believe him," said Borisov.

Tsvetanov, who was also in Zlatograd, denied the allegations as well, stressing everything he had ever done has been coordinated with his boss and former PM.

He saw in the latest scandal "the long hand of the Socialists" and their black PR election campaign.

According to Tsvetanov, the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, was also nervous as his election campaign visits in Muslim-populated regions have shown the support of Bulgarian Muslims for GERB.

DPS, the Bulgaria for Citizens party of former EU Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, and the United People's Party have also called for his resignation.

The former Interior Minister declared he had no intentions to step down.

According to him, Naydenov was launching personal attacks, prompted by rival political formations.

"During my entire term as Minister I was always and only led by the rule of law. And I interfered with the interests of many, this is way I have so many enemies who are attacking me now, in the eve of the elections," Tsvetanov stressed.

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Tags: Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, prosecution, corruption, GERB, Boyko Borisov, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, wiretapping, special surveillance devices, Rosen Plevneliev, Kalin Georgiev, Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry, guards, security, United People's Party, Bulgaria for Citizens, DPS, BSP, resignation, snap general elections, Chief Prosecutor, Sotir Tsatsarov

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