site.btaGERB Becomes First Party to Register for Local Elections

GERB Becomes First Party to Register for Local Elections

Sofia, August 25 (BTA) - The ruling GERB party on Tuesday became the first entity to register for the October 25 local elections. Its documents were submitted to the Central Election Commission by campaign chief Tsvetan Tsvetanov and his deputy Tsvetomir Paounov.

Tsvetanov said: "GERB is preparing for a tenth straight victory, not because we want to win at all costs, but because we have achieved visible results after participating in two cycles of local government." He added that his party wants all regions in Bulgaria to develop equally.

GERB's second-in-command expects the ruling party to win more than a million votes in the local elections, sustaining its earlier success. It aspires to win the elections and get in control of between 16 and 18 of the country's 27 regional capitals, compared with the current 14. Tsvetanov hopes GERB will install the mayors in such regional capitals as Vratsa, Montana, Vidin, Lovech, Turgovishte, Razgrad and Shoumen. "It is our ambition to gain real presence in local governments in Kurdjali Region by winning mayoral seats," he said.

Asked whether GERB is negotiating with the Reformist Bloc to enlist its support for its own candidates in separate localities, Tsvetanov said that in seven or eight of Bulgaria's 265 municipalities GERB has found common ground with the Reformist Bloc and there the two entities will stand together in the ballot. The southwestern town of Kyustendil is the only regional capital where such symbiosis is likely, he added.