Lyuben Dilov Junior is the leader of one of the younger political parties in Bulgaria - the conservative movement Gergyovden which narrowly missed to seize seats in the Parliament after it ranked fifth following the last parliamentary election two years ago. As a Sofia mayor candidate, he has also garnered the support of Bulgaria's Agrarians and Democratic Party and rates among the top five contenders according to recent polls.
Dilov Junior is the son of one of Bulgaria's most prominent fantasy writers. He is very popular in Bulgaria for his work with the country's most popular talk show host Slavi Trifonov. Dilov Junior left his place in the team of Slavi's show to start his Sofia mayor campaign.
Lyuben Dilov Junior answered questions of novinite.com
Q: How does the post of Sofia mayor attract you?
A: It attracts me with the opportunity to do many small or big but tangible things so that we mustn't be ashamed of ourselves. The city is a mirror that reflects the social relation in it. Inside we are what the city looks on the outside. The city is just a scene if there are no people in it. And talking of attraction, here it is: up till now we were talking about the way things shouldn't be done, now we want to show the way they should be done.
In the previous Municipal Council, Gergyovden was the only opposition. And this was because of the garden in front of the Russian church, because of the gas stations spawned viciously close to each other, because of the lack of parks and air, because of Mladost, Lyulin [big quarters in Sofia] and the other concrete neighborhoods.
I can give you thousands of reasons that make me want to run. Among the most significant are crime, the tow trucks picking our cars, traffic jams, corruption and red tape within the municipal administration, as well as the jobbery of the political parties as a way of using power.
Over the last three years I couldn't help wondering what makes Sofianski [Sofia's current mayor] smile. I guess it is the idea of how a whole city can be made settle down to work in favor of the party led by the mayor himself. I can very well come to the conclusion that what makes him smile is something known only to himself. And probably a few other people...
Q: What advantages does your experience give you before the other candidates for the post? Who do you see as your main rival?
I have proved in practice that I can make successful teams of people who know how to do their job and do it in the best way possible. Up till now, Gergyovden's two councilmen together with six other independent people in the Council were the only opposition to the silent majority of the Union of Democratic Forces [Bulgaria's rightist party] and the Bulgarian Socialist Party which gave the city's water concession to a company named by their parties against the interest of Sofia's people. This company even wasn't among the first three bidders ranked by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. And the assessment of this tender alone cost nearly USD 500,000 to Sofia's taxpayers. Very soon the municipal administration is to pass judgment on the implementation of that concession and I highly recommend to Sofianski not to do it.
My work so far has been of such nature that I have always been in the spotlight - you know, I've been in show business for twelve years. Besides, I have seen that it is not necessary to injure someone's interest in order to profit: I know how to make business free of jobbery.
One of my advantages is that I do not crave the mayor's post so that I can solve the problems of my party. My contenders are part of the status quo while I am not. I am faced with two former ministers and a current one, a district governor and mayor with two mandate behind him besides being a former interim prime minister. And all of them are sending messages from the past - none has ever mentioned a word of tomorrow to the electorate. They are too spent by the weight of being involved with politics for the past years. I guess people haven't thought of considering who of my contenders would continue to work in the municipal administration in case he or she fails to get elected. Who is going to be a councilman - it is clear this is neither Sofianski's plan, nor that of Nadezhda Mihaylova [the rightist candidate]. Do you believe that Luciano [Vassil Ivanov, current sports minister and candidate of the ruling party] will dump his post or the district governor would?! And Stoyan Alexadrov [the leftist candidate] is not even on the councilmen ticket of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Who is going to deliver on the promises of these people?
Q: Which is the gravest problem Sofia faces today?
A: I think the first problem is the way the city is being governed. And it is Stefan Sofianski who prefers to discuss party matters with Simeon [Saxe-Coburg, Bulgaria's prime minister] during lunches at the Krim [restaurant] instead of fighting for Sofia's budget. This is why the capital city's budget now accounts for 40.1 percent of the income taxes raised from Sofia residents. We suffer damages of 130 million levs!
This is where all problems of Sofia come from, this is lurking behind the ugly and culpable pollution, the construction works on green areas in spite of the moratorium, the lack of accountability and control on who is doing what, how is he is doing it and what does it cost.
Since the start of my campaign, I am have stressed this single thing so many times: we have tabled a draft law for Sofia and it should be passed because if there is a law, you can't wriggle out of your duties. The administration will be forced to start working under pressure of the civil control, fines and the heavy sanctions. The bill envisages harsh measures for the councilmen and the mayor who might be fined and even ousted in case they fail to do their job.
I think Bulgaria currently suffers a common crisis of representation in politics. This reflects on the way the city is being governed. It is not clear who represents who and of whose behalf he is speaking.
Q: What would be your occupation if you suffer defeat in the upcoming elections?
I have mentioned it already - it seems like I would be the only one who even in case of losing the poll will have to try and deliver on pre-election promises. The others are completely irresponsible in this respect.
Q: How did you benefit from your political experience so far? How did it disappoint you?
I realized simple truths. If you climb the mountain, you won't find any wisdom different from what you have taken with you. In the highest politics there is no other commitment except the one you have made to the little people, to those who have taken you there. And yet another truth: the wiser you become, the sadder you feel.
Every new idea is in minority. The only strong politician is the one who does not count on general talk like left-right, people-citizens but on real commitments to communities, social groups, guilds and professions. It turns out that no one has revoked Montesquieu's Social Contract. Even in crazy post-totalitarian societies as our own.
Are the Bulgarian banker and the Bulgarian taxi driver with right ideas? Are they alike? Yes, they are alike because both have to distribute a limited income - this is for the central heating, this goes for the child's new shoes, this will buy us some fun, and this goes for reinvestment. The one reinvests in funs and profolio, the other - in new tires. Both are active in respect to the country's budget. They don't count on the state to feed them, they count on partnership. But at the end of the day - the banker and the taxi driver are different and you cannot - at least being equally honest - be the speaker for both. This is what the socialists are trying to do: they try to talk to the people in principle. This too is what Simeon does and his subordinates continue to call him "Your Majesty" though he is our republic's prime minister. He sees the Bulgarians only as subjects: as a collective idiot who, in the good spirit of Slav paternalistic tradition, is hypocritically called "people."
I am disappointed that the drama of the last presidential election was not what President Petar Stoyanov [Bulgaria's former president who lost the poll in 2001] was saying but why he was saying it...
By the way, at the moment we witness how very important issues are being replaced and this aims at deflecting attention. And the most dangerous thing is that the replacement is also an attempt to change Bulgaria's direction by creating a right-wing which is very comfortable to the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the prime minister with his restituted properties: a right-wing headed by his table companion and current Sofia mayor. It is dangerous since it prompts suspicions on the part of Bulgaria's partners from NATO as to how sincere we are in wanting to be members when a cadre of the former State Security service can be the prime minister's advisor [Gen. Brigo Asparuhov]. Look at the continuous scandals over Bulgaria's arms plants and the spy affairs abroad as well as the fact that the dossiers compiled by the communist secrets services have never been exposed thoroughly.
Q: Do you have any friends among members of rival political parties?
A: Of course, I do. Gergyoden's concept itself gives opportunity to members of different political parties to enter its clubs. And what is more important - the Upper Chamber - our supreme body consists of 8 people who are not bound by political membership against 5 party members. We are civil movement not only on paper.
Of course, it is natural for Gergyovden's party wing to have its significance grow because of the greater commitments we would make - now in the local governance and following the next parliamentary poll - in the legislature. However, the character of our civil movement won't change.
Q: What would you make relinquish your political career?
A: Actually, I am not a professional politician. In politics I waste money, time and friendships. But for me it is very important to be simply a criticizer of social establishment and, periodically, to offer an alternative. This is what makes me go to bed with clear conscience each night.
Otherwise, my income is mainly earned as a producer. I still have my standing for producing the most successful TV programs in Bulgaria. Besides, I plan to go on writing. My last book sells very well and the book before - "Of Jutting Out" became a sensational bestseller in Bulgaria. If I ever lose the faith that each year makes my ideas more understood and supported by ever larger circles, I would quit. It would really be no good. Stanislav Jirgy Letz says: "Those who are ahead of their time need to wait for it at the right places specified by the state." I won't wait for the state or somebody else to show me my place.
Q: Describe yourself as a person and as a professional.
I do what I have to and let things happened as they would. At the same time I am very positive person and I know politics is the art of reality. I also know 80 percent of politics is to make civil servants work better. The rest consist of dreams, ideas and fundamental differences with the other politicians.
Q: What were the last book, and the last CD you bought?
A: I bought the lectures of Michel Foucault before Alliance Francaise as well as Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero. I always read several books of totally different genres. I bought four CDs of Oregon and Pat Mattini and also Canto and one very early record of Bee Gees - it is the music of the Melody movie: I have searched for it for a long time.
Q: Tell us a joke that really made you laugh heartily...
A: Wow, jokes were an integral part of my recent job. Most of them make me laugh in my professional capacity. So I will tell you a real story. At the last televised debate, one of my rival mayor candidates was speaking of his program to deal with stray dogs that are a serious problem in some of Sofia's neighborhoods. He was telling us ardently that he is not going to put them to sleep but castrate them so that they would get extinct in a natural way. I was compelled to tell him: "You don't understand the problem - dogs do not rape people, they bite them."
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Photo by Gergana Kostadinova (novinite.com)
