Bulgaria's Socialist Party has nominated former deputy finance minister Georgi Kadiev to run for mayor of the capital Sofia in the upcoming local vote, it emerged on Monday.
As current Sofia Mayor Boyko Borisov is set to become Prime Minister of Bulgaria after the election victory of his party GERB, the Bulgarian capital is going to elect new mayor on October 24.
"I am one of the nominated runners in the race for Sofia mayor. I still have not decided whether I am ready for this battle," Kadiev, currently member of the national council of the party, told the morning broadcast of the national TV channel.
The 43-year-old, Moscow-educated financier was among the Socialists' favourites for Sofia mayor runner during the previous elections in 2007. After a secret ballot, however, the party city organization elected his rival, former intelligence chief Brigo Asparuhov, by a slim margin of two votes.
Georgi Kadiev served as Bulgaria's Deputy Finance Minister until June 2007 when he handed his resignation over disagreements with Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski.
This was the second time in 2007 when Kadiev expressed his wish to withdraw from the post. He was in charge of the Customs Agency and the National Revenues Agency.