site.btaUPDATED VP Iotova on Political Attacks against President: "There Is No News, War with President Has Never Stopped"

Asked to comment recent political attacks against President Rumen Radev, Vice President Iliana Iotova said that it is no news as the wat with the President has never stopped. "The war with the President continues so there is no news in what is happening," said Iotova.

The attacks came from Movement for Rights and Freedoms floor leader Delyan Peevski, who has recently been accusing the President's administration of foul play and suggested that the competent authorities may have put on hold investigations against presidential aides. It is not clear whether Peevski has any evidence. The prosecution service said they would look into the matter and possibly question Peevski to find out what exactly he meant.

Iotova said she has no suspicions about corruption in the President's administration. Asked to comment plans by the Socialist party to make public information about corruption in the caretaker governments appointed by the President, she said whoever has evidence about foul play should take it to the competent authorities rather than muddy the political playfield. 

She said it is "the third season" of the war against the President. "The first was The President and the Ukraine War, the second was The President and the Constitution, and the ongoing one is obviously For a President's Hyde," she said. 

According to Iotova, President Radev would not give in to anyone's pressure when it comes to creating a party, let alone to dictate to him when and how to do it.

In one of his tirades against the President, Peevski urged him to step down, go into politics and set up his own party - "instead of hide behind the President's immunity". 

Iotova said of the President: "After all the years we have been working together, I know that this is a man of honour, that he follows all the rules to the letter of the law - and perhaps this is exactly what the 'assemblage' cannot forgive him".

"Assemblage" is widely used as a reference to the parties backing the current government, which are very careful not to use the word "coalition". 

Iotova said that in the early days of the government deal the President was asked to join it but he turned down the offer. "He did not for a second ratify their unlawful actions. On the contrary, he always turned to the Constitutional Court. They cannot forgive him for that," the Vice President said.

She added that there is clearly a need for a political alternative. According to her, President Radev did not say on Monday that he was the alternative and the would set up a new political party.

The President said, exactly: "Bulgarians expect a real political alternative to oppose the mutual whitewashing after corruption scandals and bring back normality and the European perspective for Bulgaria". 

"The furious reaction of all those involved in the 'assemblage' could be explained by their greatest fear of the alternative. Every time they come out and say that there is no alternative to their government, they actually struggle to convince themselves they are right," Iotova added.

In a related development Tuesday, Interior Ministry Secretary General Zhivko Kotsev said that a check has confirmed that there had been alerts of foul play involving presidential administration staffers. He said that details will become clear in the final report from the check that was ordered into the matter by the Interior Minister, and that the report is still due.