"Not a word was uttered about such an ad at our meeting with Stoyanov on Tuesday," Miroslav Sevlievski said for Standart Daily

The NMS deputies were shocked yesterday by the advertisement in the newspapers, in which the image of their patron was used for the purposes of Stoyanov's campaign. "Such an intention of the electioneering staff was not even mentioned at our meeting on Tuesday night," Miroslav Sevlievski said yesterday in the lobby. He and Emil Koshlukov were invited to the HQ by Peter Stoyanov in person to detail the presentation of the latter before the PG. The NMS PG's deputy chairman Vladimir Donchev was also unaware by whom and where was taken the decision to use the King's image, but he assumed that the electioneering staff did not ask him for permission. Donchev, who is a member of the electioneering staff and Plamen Panayotov's deputy, said that he had nothing to do with any ads and declined further elaborations. "I do not know who has made the decision, but I do not find it relevant to use the King's image in the campaign," NMS MP Yavor Milushev commented. "Perhaps the staff judged it right, but I myself do not think it is the appropriate way." None of the deputies ventured to forecast how this faux pas was to affect the election results. Everybody, however, expected the problem to be resolved at the meeting with Stoyanov. Petar Stoyanov went to the Parliament to meet the deputies from the NMS II at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. He paid special attention to MP from Razgrad, Kamen Vlahov, who was against his nomination from the very start. Stoyanov was assured that all structures of the NMS and UDF will be mobilized for the runoff. The promise was given during the meeting with the representatives of the coalition council of the NMS and the leadership of the parliamentary group only. Chief of Stoyanov's election staff, Ivan Stanchov took the blame for the publication of PM's Saxe-Coburg photo, said in parliament Neri Terzieva, press attache of the incumbent head of state. Terzieva has specified that Stanchov hasn't given personal order to put to use the King's photo, but decided to shoulder the responsibility. She emphasized that the NMS leadership is not to blame for the gaffe. NMS deputy Kamen Vlahov said that the scandal is unprecedented, "for the first time the PM's name is used for political manipulations". In the opinion of Petar Stoyanov the so-called photo is merely a technical problem. "This is not something that could generate problems between me and the NMS, or between me and PM Saxe-Coburg. We have put a full stop in the discussions on the issue", Stoyanov commented.