site.btaABV to Propose Alternative for Presidential Elections

ABV to Propose Alternative for Presidential Elections

Sofia, August 24 (BTA) - ABV will not support a candidate of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leadership and become a part of the intra-party bickering, ABV Deputy Chair Ivailo Kalfin said at a news conference after a meeting of the party's Executive Board on Wednesday.

He specified that ABV will propose an alternative to the constituents. In the following day the party will hold consultations and will announce how it would participate in the upcoming presidential elections.

BSP announced Tuesday that it is pulling out of the talks with ABV for a coalition for the presidential elections. The announcement was made by BSP leader Kornelia Ninova after a meeting of the party Executive Board and came less than a week after the two parties' leaders agreed to nominate former Air Force Commander Roumen Radev (Ret.) as their common presidential candidate and the decision was endorsed separately by the two parties. BSP said they will propose Radev nomination for support by a broad initiative committee and said that ABV are free to join in, if they want.

By their decision the BSP ensured the victory of the GERB candidate at these elections, Kalfin explained. The BSP leaders presented themselves as unfair political partners that cannot be trusted. The argument that they cannot negotiate with smaller parties is inadmissible as it pushes the BSP towards extremist and xenophobic parties.