Three prominent Bulgarian protest leaders, Angel Slavchev, Noncho Dudev and Yanko Petrov, have established a formation called Movement for Civic Control which will take part in the May 12 early elections in partnership with the Democratic Civic Initiative party.

Slavchev, Dudev, and Petrov attracted public attention in their capacity of coordinators of the February anti-poverty protests in Sofia.

The mass nationwide rallies, which started as a reaction to a spike in electricity bills and turned into demonstrations against the corrupt political model, resulted in the resignation of the center-right GERB government on February 20.

Speaking during a Friday press conference, Slavchev, Dudev and Petrov, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), made clear that the three of them were not seeking MP posts.

They claimed that they would focus their activities on the creation of pressure groups.

The three explained that the alliance of the newly established Movement for Civic Control and the Democratic Civic Initiative party was aiming at 160 (out of the total of 240) seats in the next Parliament.

They informed that the Movement for Civic Control would team up with the Democratic Civic Initiative party headed by Stefan Peev for the early elections because it lacked party registration.

The three emphasized, however, that the union would not enter into a coalition with any party.

They said that at least 90% of the MP candidates on their lists would be up to 35 years of age.

Slavchev, Dudev and Petrov told journalists that the Movement for Civic Control would invite each city to nominate candidates for MPs.

They also announced the name of the first MP candidate of the movement - 28-year old Yoana Ivanova, a student who participated in the February protests.

Activists of the Movement are yet to collect 7000 signatures which are to be submitted with the Central Electoral Commission by March 27 in order to allow them to take part in the early elections scheduled for May 12.

Slavchev, Dudev and Petrov also informed that an account for donations had been set up Friday to help raise the deposit of BGN 10 00 required for registration for the elections.

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