Wallow in the Mire

Novinite Insider » EDITORIAL | October 14, 2005, Friday // 00:00

By Despina Koleva

Bloody, sweaty and a bit teary-such has been the battle for Sofia so far. Dependent and independent warriors exchange blows and ardently woo supporters in a desperate attempt to outstrip each other.

Unexpectedly, the first somewhat official blow arrived from the only female contender-Socialist Tatyana Doncheva. The lady, who is deemed one of the two candidates most likely to qualify for a runoff, attacked the knight in black armor, Gen. Boyko Borisov. The independent candidate is to be her rival in the runoff, polling agencies say. Borissov, true to the principle that one "shouldn't hit a woman even with a rose", kept his nerve at the time.

However, the general's temper erupted later this week. Bulgaria's most prominent crime fighter vowed to slap loudly the country's politicians, thus implying a potential need of anger management therapy. But, as they say, everyone's got issues.

Alas, the general's joy of successfully intimidating his rivals proved shortlived. The very next day Borissov's former pal and current mayor position rival, Milen Velchev, attacked the independent runner by questioning the crime fighter's political morality.

Former Finance Minister Velchev has so far been been focused on establishing himself as the most "poetic" person in the battle, a tender soul that holds no grudge. The centrist surely succeeded in charming a number of adherents prone to maudlin emotions by his act of engaging in a bowling competition with university students. However, his assault on people's hero Borissov might well cost Velchev his carefully groomed halo as well as a really loud slap at best. For let us not forget that a true Spiderman watches Borissov's back.

Yet the drama over Sofia elections is far from over. Other contenders, such as rightists Minko Gerdzhikov and Svetoslav Gavriiski as well as independent Ventseslav Dimitorv have not had a say to their fullest capacity yet. Should they decide to follow the above examples of threat and detraction, they might want to bear in mind that mudsliding is a vile, despicable and most of all-pathetic act. And if not for the moral consequences, they might want to abstain from such course of action on more pragmatic grounds. For mudsliding has proved to backfire, causing sliders to wallow in their own mire.

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