site.btaFormer Kardzhali Mayor and 11 Others Expelled from Local MRF Chapter

MRF - New Beginning announced Wednesday evening the expulsion from the local chapter of the Movement of Rights and Freedoms (MRF) in Kardzhali of the town's former mayor, Hassan Azis, the former mayor of Djebel, Bahri Yumer, and ten other party members. The announcement was made in a Facebook post. 

Kardzhali has long been a MRF stronghold, and Hassan Azis used to be one of the most recognizable mayors and ranking MRF members.

The expulsion comes amid a rift in MRF between one wing headed by founder and Honorary Chairman Ahmed Dogan, and another wing around Delyan Peevski. The rift between the two wings - and a legal battle they are fighting with each other over the party leadership - forced them to run in the October 27 snap parliamentary elections in two separate coalitions. Both won seats in the new legislature.

The reason for the expulsion that MRF - New Beginning mentions is violations of the MRF founding documents. 

Hassan Azis and Bahri Yumer in particular are expelled for "creating breeding ground for a rift that threatened the unity of the party and its leadership". During the recent election campaign, "they openly worked against MRF and canvassed for the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms", the coalitions where Ahmed Dogan's wing is one of the partners.