site.btaBSP and GERB Exchange Political Accusations at Respective Party Forums

April 20 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and
the GERB party exchanged political accusations on Saturday at
their respective party forums. The forums were dedicated to the
European Parliament (EP) elections, but were mostly dominated by
 internal political conflicts.

The BSP chose to present their MEP candidates outdoors in
Sofia's South Park. BSP leader Kornelia Ninova said that her
party is aims to "win the European elections", to "call for
early parliamentary elections", but most importantly to "fight
for justice right now". "May 26th is crucial in taking down the
current government led by GERB and the United Patriots, and
supported by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms," said Ninova.
 

Elena Yoncheva, who is at the top of BSP's candidate list for
EP,  said that "the battle for Europe is a battle for Bulgaria"
and declared that "there are two paths in front of us and we
must choose to either  stay in this criminal slavery in which
Bulgaria is now [...] or to rebel against it".

At their own forum, the GERB party reported on their initiative
titled "Europe in Our Home". Prime Minister Boyko Borissov spoke
 about infrastructure projects and the development of education
at the forum. He promised funding for the completion of the
Hemus highway and Northwest Bulgaria, as well as the bypasses of
 Pazardzhik and Plovdiv.

"We have built quality parks in Sofia, where now the BSP can
gather," he said, referring to the BSP's forum in South Park
that same day. "Next year we will increase teachers' salaries by
 another 360 million leva, we will spend 20 million leva on new
school busses and another 20 million leva on interactive
education for students," the Prime Minister said.

Borissov expressed his indignation at the BSP statements,
accusing the government of corruption, and him in autocracy.
Borissov said GERB has to make sure that the State is not
subjected to the "humiliation of bringing the same people back
to power over and over again".

"They  [the BSP] have made lying and manipulation into their
main election platform," the Prime Minister said.

"When the Head of State tells generals not to blindly comply,
what is he calling for them do?" asked Borissov, recalling
President Radev's words from the end of December 2018. When
appointing three senior military officers to posts in the
Bulgarian Army and in NATO, Radev warned the generals that "blind
 obedience and quiet compliance [...] can not save them from the
 contempt of their subordinates and the Bulgarian people." 

"We [GERB] have been very hurt by everything that happened to us
 recently, but hearing all these negative comments motivate me
even more," said Borissov. RY/DT