Drug Addicts Brought into Bulgaria Vote Buying Schemes

Drug addicts have also been involved in the schemes for buying votes in the upcoming Bulgarian Parliamentary Elections.

This has been announced by representatives of the Union for Private Economic Enterprise, which has undertaken a campaign against vote buying by offering rewards of up to BGN 10 000 for any information and evidence about this crime.

The drug addicts that get involved in the vote buying industry get paid in kind - they receive small doses of the respective drugs, the UPEE representatives said as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio. Their information, however, is yet to be investigated by the respective authorities.

The UPEE has announced that very "interesting" vote buying schemes seem to be in place. Those included the active involvement who would act as brokers in vote buying deals. The mayors in question, however, would often provide votes for a party different from their own, i.e. their role as brokers seems to be becoming increasing "professionalized."

Before, during, and after Bulgaria's EU Parliament Elections on June 7, the UPEE some 200 signals about vote buying by citizens, journalists, and even people who took part in the schemes.

Novinite.com's interview with the UPEE Deputy Chair Teodor Dechev is available HERE

Novinite.com's featured article on vote buying in Bulgaria is available HERE