site.btaABV Officially Approves Presidential Nomination of Gen. Radev

ABV Officially Approves
Presidential Nomination
of Gen. Radev


Sofia, August 18 (BTA) - The National Council of ABV Thursday officially decided to nominate Gen. Roumen Radev as the joint presidential candidate of a broad coalition including this Left-wing ABV party and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), as well as other Left, centrist and patriotic formations. The decision was announced by ABV leader Georgi Purvanov.

Gen. Radev attended the meeting.

Purvanov believes that Gen. Radev emerges as the favourite in the presidential race.

The ruling GERB party and the Right-wing coalition of the Reformist Bloc have not yet announced their candidates for the November 5 elections, and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms have not even said whether they will have their own candidate or will support somebody else's.

ABV's approval for the retired general's nomination comes a day after the approval by the BSP decision-making body.

"I say loudly and clearly: we are working for a victory and with the general as our candidate, we can win," Purvanov said.

ABV would leave it to Radev to pick his running mate.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Purvanov described Gen. Radev as a "strong, convincing nomination as a professional, as a citizen, as a big Bulgarian patriot, as a person." "In other words, he is a winning nomination," Purvanov added.

Taking a question, Purvanov said that this is a nomination of a coalition "of equal worth, of very strong parties which have proven they can make good elections". According to him, Gen. Radev's nomination could unite ABV and the BSP, as well as a large part of Bulgarian society. Purvanov also said that each of the two parties' leaders bears responsibility for the nomination.

Gen. Radev said he attended the ABV National Council meeting so that they can discuss the possibilities for a wider coalition. "Each vote is important in this battle, and the goal is all of us to work for Bulgaria," he added. Taking a question, he said that he is targeting as voters all Bulgarians who think about Bulgaria and wish to see a country firmly positioned on its national interests with active capabilities, independent and active foreign policy, and a loyal member of NATO and the EU. LI/DS/PK/LN/
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