site.btaParties from BSP-Left Bulgaria Coalition to Run Together in Presidential Elections

Parties from BSP-Left Bulgaria Coalition to Run Together in Presidential Elections

Sofia, July 9 (BTA) - Thirteen parties from the Left-wing united to run together in the presidential elections, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) said in a press release after a meeting of the BSP-Left Bulgaria coalition's political council on Saturday.

Socialist leader Kornelia Ninova has been mandated to negotiate with other parties and a second round of discussions will be held next week.

"We will seek another broadening in the Left, this is just the first step towards the other parties and the civil structures," Ninova said. She noted that there will be meetings in Parliament with ABV and Movement 21 on Tuesday, and with IMRO on Wednesday.

"During the first discussion we agreed about the platform, the political framework for running in the presidential elections, and about the president's and vice president's profiles," she said, adding that they must be people who express the national interest, conduct a balanced foreign policy, unite the nation, be patriots, have social sensitivity and express Left-wing politics.

The BSP leader noted that her party is starting to hold conferences for nominations, while the parties from the coalition also have their own nomination procedures. She added that specific names will be discussed only after this process is completed and meetings are held with the other parties.

Social Democrats Political Movement leader Elena Noneva said that the results of the negotiations with the other political parties will be discussed within the BSP-Left Bulgaria coalition by the end of next week. "We support the idea for broadening the coalition in the Left-wing," she added.

MEP and member of BSP's Executive Bureau Iliana Iotova noted that her party is starting these first meetings with its own platform above all, and not specific names. "We will first hear what our coalition partners think about how our presidential and vice presidential candidates should look and the type of Bulgarian interests they must stand for," she said.

The meeting was attended by members of BSP's leadership and its coalition partners.