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In a dramatic political move, three regional governors affiliated with Delyan Peevski's faction of DPS: "New Beginning" have submitted their resignations. Beynur Ahmed (Shumen), Gursel Hasanov (Targovishte), and Mehmed Ataman (Haskovo) stepped down immediately after Peevski's public call for them to voluntarily leave their posts.
The resignations come a week after the formation of a new Bulgarian government led by Rosen Zhelyazkov of GERB, which was supported by Ahmed Dogan's DPS. Peevski, who has been sanctioned for corruption by the US and UK, is attempting to distance himself from the new government while simultaneously managing internal party dynamics.
Peevski explicitly stated, "We have nothing to do with this cabinet," and demanded an end to speculation about his potential influence. He challenged the regional governors, saying, "When I become prime minister, I will make them regional governors. Today I want them to leave immediately."
These governors were originally appointed during the caretaker government led by Dimitar Glavchev in mid-2024, a period often criticized for being dependent on Peevski's influence. The appointments occurred during a time of significant internal conflict within the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party, with Peevski and Dogan's factions operating separately in parliament.
The political landscape further complicated when parliamentary committee chairmanships were distributed among GERB, BSP, TISP, and DPS-Dogan, with DPS - New Beginning notably excluded from leadership positions. This exclusion prompted Peevski's comment: "Everyone got married to this thing. The only ones who are not involved are the DPS – New Beginning."
Opposition party WCC-DB has continued to suggest that Peevski might maintain influence through certain ministers, with the upcoming appointments of deputy ministers and regional governors viewed as a potential test of this theory. Meanwhile, Peevski has preemptively acted by engineering the resignation of these regional governors before the new government could make personnel changes.
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