site.btaBSP Leader Ninova Calls for Relieving Party Member Gergov from Leadership, He Resigns

BSP Leader Ninova Calls for Relieving Party Member Gergov from Leadership, He Resigns

Sofia, April 22 (BTA) - Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Kornelia Ninova moved to the BSP National Council meeting on Saturday to relieve party member Georgi Gergov from his post of member of the Executive Bureau on account of Gergov's involvement "in events of high public and media interest that gave rise to many questions to the party". Ninova threatened that if Gergov does not leave the Executive Bureau, she will resign. Later in the day Gergov lodged his resignation "so as not to divide the party", but noting that "no good goes unpunished".

In the past few days Gergov's name was mentioned in respect of a meeting between businessman Sasho Donchev, founder and CEO of the private gas company Overgas Inc. and publisher of the influential "Sega" daily, and Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov. Donchev said that Tsatsarov had invited him to a meeting in a third party's office (namely Gergov's) and warned him there that his "conduct had become unacceptable", including his alleged support for the Yes, Bulgaria party, BiT television with its presumed hostility to Tsatsarov, and Donchev's "Sega" daily. According to Tsatsarov's account of the events, Donchev asked him to put pressure on prosecutors probing a regulator in a case related to the supply and sale of natural gas. Such attempts at meddling in the work of the prosecution magistracy and the investigative authorities are inadmissible, and  there will be zero tolerance for any politician or business person "trying to put himself or his business interests above the law and the public interest", Tsatsarov said.

"Today we witness wrangling in a ball of interests. If now the dilemma is Ninova or Gergov, next time it will be someone else from this circle," Georgi Bozhinov, one of the BSP leaders said before the start of the meeting.

Gergov for his part said that he did know whether his resignation will be positive for the party. "We are sending a bad message. The behind-the-curtains dealing is here with us, we are an old party but are still far from perfect. I am not ready to speak these truths but I promise you that next week I will be a media hero," he said.

Gergov said he "mediated nothing" for the meeting between Donchev and Tsatsarov, and declined further comment.

Approached to say what good deeds he made for Ninova, Gergov said that thanks to the votes ensured by him she was elected Chairwoman of BSP. He said he did not regret Ninova's election at the head of the party, and denied that her leadership may be under question.

"All these recent events are for serious purposes, have deep roots and the button is pushed some place else," Gergov said, adding he did not know this place, but "the matter has always been for power and money, and for other things too".