site.btaPresident Meets Top Health Officials to Discuss How to Ensure Fair and Safe Elections during Pandemic

January 5 (BTA)- President Rumen Radev Tuesday met with
top health officials to discuss ways to ensure fair and safe
elections during the coronavirus pandemic. "As the President of
this country, it is extremely important for me to see that both
the constitutional right to vote and safety are guaranteed for
Bulgarians in the upcoming elections for National Assembly," the
 President said in his opening remarks.

Radev has said on a number of occasions that he intends to
schedule elections for March 28, which is the earliest possible
date according to the Constitution but his team has indicated
that the pandemic could cause a postponement of the vote.

Commenting the presidential consultations during a visit in the northern town of Veliko Turnovo school, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov expressed surprise
that the date of the elections is being discussed after March 28
 had been mentioned by the President, and blamed Radev with
trying to pass onto the health authorities the responsibility
for a postponement.

Participating in the President's first meeting on Tuesday were
Health Minister Kostadin Angelov, Chief Health Inspector Angel
Kunchev and the head of the coronavirus vaccination task force,
Prof. Krassimir Gigov. Another meeting was held later the same
day with virology professor Radka Argirova, immunology professor
 Andrei Chobanov and pulmonologist Alexander Simidchiev.

Radev said that holding elections in such conditions is a
challenge both for the authorities and for the health system,
and requires that many factors be taken into consideration and
careful planning be done.

The President said that many countries have already had
elections during the pandemic, and mentioned as examples the
United States, France, Germany, South Korea, Israel, Poland,
Croatia, Romania and the Republic of North Macedonia.

Protocol for Elections during Pandemic

The Health Minister and the Chief Health Inspector told the
President that a protocol is being prepared for holding
elections during a pandemic. It will make sure that people
exercise their voting right without risking their health.

The protocol will be made public when the date of elections is
officially announced, said Minister Angelov.

The Minister also said that quarantined people may be allowed to
 take a couple of hours' break from the isolation and go to the
polls. Use of mobile voting stations is also an option

Everybody's safety must be guaranteed, including the election
administration, Angelov added. 

According to Kunchev, the effect of several factors on the
course of the pandemic remains to be seen, including the two
coronavirus variants from the UK and South Africa.

Vaccination Numbers

The Health Minister said that the first shipment of coronavirus
vaccines included 9,750 dozes, followed by a second batch of
25,000 dozes, 35,000 dozes around January 11 and as many at the
end of the month. It will leave 50,000 Bulgarians vaccinated.

When a contract is signed with Moderna, Bulgaria will receive
500,000 vaccines but a clearance from the European Commission
and the European Medicines Agency is still to come.

It won't be until mid-January when it will be clear which COVID
restrictions can be relaxed, the Health Minister said.
  
He also said that Bulgaria has enough protective gear for the
coming months, and that there is enough for the members of the
election commissions.

The President is also expected to meet with election
administration officials. NV/LN/