Bulgaria's Ethnic Party Addresses Roma Constituency in Turkish

Ahmed Dogan, leader of Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) has carried out pre-election agitation in Turkish in the Roma district of the southern Bulgarian town of Kardzhali despite the legal ban on such activities and the fine of BGN 2000 provided for such cases.

No less than 3000 residents of the Roma neighborhood gathered to show their passionate support for DPS candidate for Kardzhali Mayor Hasan Azis, who will be running for a third term in office.

Tensions heated up when the DPS leader took the floor, addressing the audience last, as usual.

The Roma population in Kardzhali's Borovetz district got particularly excited when DPS MP Remzi Osman said that, whatever the law, he would "speak the language of the borough".

The next to speak after Osman was candidate for municipal councillor and journalist Myuzeki .

Addressing the audience in Turkish, he insisted that the ban on minorities speaking their mother tongue during election time contradicted the Constitution and claimed that "the law is unconstitutional either".

"After Katunitsa, Bulgaria is no longer the same. The time has come to take power away from those in power, ruling party GERB and nationalist party Ataka. It is time to oust the overpowered government which has been oppressing in order to make way for a new democratic government", said DPS Deputy Chair Lyutvi Mestan, commenting on the death of a Bulgarian youth killed in Katunitsa by an alleged associate of Roma clan leader Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, and the nationwide repercussions of the incident.

Before taking the floor, Ahmed Dogan was given the neighborhood's symbol of tolerance, a hand painted glass vase.

"I always come to see you during elections, you are so cool and energetic. You are the ones who decide Karzdhali's mayoral elections, which is why I am here", Dogan declared, urging the Roma population to participate actively in the October 23 vote so as to guarantee DPS' victory at the first round.

DPS candidate for Kardzhali Mayor Hasan Azis took the security guards by surprise, brushing them aside to join supporters that had climbed onto a street wall.

Hasan Azis then joined a group of people singing a popular Turkish song.

Minutes later, the crowd carried him on its shoulders to the bus servicing DPS's nationwide election tour.