GERB to Name Presidential Runner after Headquarters Overhaul - PM

In a Friday interview for a Bulgarian news agency, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov dwells on the terms in office of President Parvanov, the role of DPS leader Ahmed Dogan, Bulgaria's support for the Western Balkans' EU integration and Turkey's EU bid.

Borisov also comments on the latest developments on the Belene NPP project, the problems plaguing the Eurozone, the media campaigns against him and his expectations regarding the forthcoming local and presidential elections.

When asked about Ahmed Dogan, leader of the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party, Borisov says that DPS has played its positive part at a certain point in Bulgaria's political history. Dogan, however "was a totally different person" at that time, according to the Prime Minister.

"With DPS winning two terms in office, it turned into a transmitter for all the corruption in the country because they can never be held responsible, their constituency is solid and big parties were literally annihilated by them", Borisov claims, specifying that DPS is to blame for the demise of former Tsar Simeon Saxe-Coburg's National Movement for Stability and Prosperity (NDSV) and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), with which it formed the three-way coalition government.

"Why did BSP collapse? It happened because Dogan did whatever he felt like doing, leaving BSP leader Stanishev to foot the bill. Stanishev was practically unable to make a decision without the former Tsar and Dogan saying "this is ok, this is not". That is the truth...Stanishev himself was governed within the coalition. And the two parties that came near DPS were literally destroyed."

According to Borisov, throughout his two terms in office, President Parvanov has had successful policies where he managed to strike a balance, but he has also preferred to keep quiet at certain critical points.

Regarding Bulgaria's need to reform its judiciary, Borisov says that the steps should be taken by the judges and prosecutors, not by people outside the system.

"It has been 22 years and the evidence is still insufficient. How can that be possible?" , the Prime Minister insists, adding that EU countries have managed to issue guilty verdicts on the grounds of the same body of evidence which in Bulgaria has led to acquittals.

"This means that the set evidence works there. I could give thousands of such examples", Borisov points out.

Regarding Turkey's EU bid, the Bulgarian Prime Minister explains that the country is currently a very strong economy with a finely structured business sector and an excellent manufacturing sector.

 It also has a very powerful leader with a very clear program and goals - Prime Minister Erdogan. Turkey's geostrategic location gives it the opportunity to take on the role of the leader in the entire Arab world.

 EU accession, however, implies compliance with a set of criteria.

In this line of thought, Borisov notes, Bulgaria believes that Turkey will be welcomed into the EU as soon as it meets the requirements.

On the issue of the presidential candidate of center-right ruling party GERB, which is to be revealed on September 04, Borisov says that "I explained that we would announce our runner on September 04 because we want to have the party's headquarters ready after the repairs. "

He dismisses accusations of unfairly delaying the announcement of GERB's presidential nominee by saying that the other political parties have not presented their bids for the next elections for head of state, which GERB has already done.

GERB's next presidential runner will be Boyko Borisov, according to Boyko Borisov, which is an indication of the party's long-term thinking.