site.btaSocialist Party Approves Election Lists for Parliamentary Elections, Sofia and Haskovo Exceptions

Sofia, August 26 (BTA) - The National Council of the Bulgarian  Socialist Party (BSP) Tuesday approved all election lists for  the forthcoming elections in October with the exception of the  three ones for Sofia and the one for Haskovo, BSP leader Mihail  Mikov told journalists upon emerging from the meeting of the  National Council.

The final order in the lists will be specified at the next  meeting on Saturday. That is also when the person who will top  the list in Gabrovo will be named. Kristian Vigenin remains at  the top of the list in Blagoevgrad, the BSP Chairman said. The  local BSP organization in Blagoevgrad protested against  Vigenin's nomination.

According to Mihov, the BSP lists have been rejuvenated  considerably. Twenty per cent of the people included in them are  aged under 35, 30 per cent - between 35 and 40 and just 2.5 per  cent are above 65. A large portion of financiers and economists  are among the nominees, he noted.

The meeting adopted an address to the people topping the lists  and the chairpersons of the regional councils to pay special  attention to responsibility during the campaign and people in  the list who could undermine the prestige of the party and the  BSP - Left Bulgaria coalition.

The leading candidate of the coalition in Bourgas is Peter Kunev, in Veliko Turnovo - Mariana Boyadjieva, in Vidin - Mihail Mikov, in Vratsa - Georgi Bozhinov, in Dobrich -  Svetla Buchvarova, in Kurdjali - Milko Bagdassarov, in Kyustendil - Maya Manolova, in Lovech - Dimiter Gorov, in Montana - Emil Rainov, in Pazardjik - Yanaki Stoilov, in Pernik - Valeri Zhablyanov, in Pleven - Roumen Gechev, in Plovdiv City - Georgi Turnovliiski, in Plovdiv Region - Dimiter Dubov, in Razgrad - Stoyan Nenchev, in Rousse - Hristo Beloev, in Silistra - Anton Koutev, in Sliven - Tasko Ermenkov, in Smolyan - Dora Yankova, in Sofia Region - Kornelia Ninova, in Stara Zagora - Dragomir Stoynev, in Turgovishte - Yavor Kouyumdjiev, in Shoumen - Ivan Ivanov and in Yambol - Atanas Merdjanov.

Mikov also said that BSP will aspire to turn into an unsurmountable factor in the next parliament.

Asked about the draft of the Bulgarian position for the NATO summit in Wales in September, Mikov said: "It is strange that a caretaker government wants to predetermine strategic issues of the national security, including the budgeting in the military sphere". In his opinion, it should not do so because it has no parliamentary support and discredits Bulgaria. "I think that neither the President, nor the caretaker cabinet are aware that this could at one moment prove to be empty words," Mikov said.