site.btaMinister Ilkov Says No New Interior Ministry Secretary General Will Be Appointed during Caretaker Cabinet's Term

Speaking to reporters in the Council of Ministers on Friday, caretaker Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov said that "for understandable reasons, no new Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior will be appointed during the term of the caretaker government”.

Ilkov added that the head of the Gendarmerie will most likely be replaced. In his words, the vision the Gendarmerie, Special Operations and Counterterrorism General Directorate and the Specialized Unit for Combating Terrorism have does not befit this highly responsible Interior Ministry service.

The caretaker Minister said that "there is currently no one occupying the role of the Interior Ministry Secretary General", adding that the head of the National Police, Chief Commissioner Miroslav Rashkov, is carrying out the responsibilities of Deputy Secretary General.

Ilkov said that a process of appointing a new Secretary General is underway. "Mr. [Dimitar] Kangaldzhiev has not been replaced. He is the incumbent Deputy Secretary General. He has been on sick leave since yesterday [Thursday]. It appeared that he has health issues, and I cannot say when he will return to work so that we can continue the procedure that we have initiated," the Minister said.

In a press release Thursday, the Interior Ministry said that Kangaldzhiev will be replaced by Chief Commissioner Yavor Serafimov as secretary general of the Interior Ministry. The replacement was ordered by Ilkov in consultation with Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev.