President Iotova Interviews Candidates for Membership on Central Election Commission

Nikolay Zabov

President Iliana Iotova interviewing CEC candidates, Sofia, June 12, 2026 (BTA Photo/Hristo Kasabov)

12.06.2026 19:34

(BTA)

President Iliana Iotova interviewed 15 candidates for membership on the Central Election Commission (CEC), who were nominated by the parties and coalitions represented in the 52nd National Assembly. The head of State is expected to sign a decree appointing the candidates, and they will take office on June 23.

Iotova told the candidates that the legitimacy of Bulgaria's institutions depends on them and that they must select the best experts to participate at all levels of the electoral process. She added: "The most important task you must accomplish, along with everyone else, of course, is to restore Bulgarian citizens' trust in the electoral process."

CEC chair candidate Georgi Horozov, nominated by Progressive Bulgaria, said that transparency in the electoral process should be a fundamental and guiding principle in the work of the new CEC.

CEC candidate Desislava Abrasheva, nominated by Progressive Bulgaria, said that she would support initiatives to facilitate access to the electoral process, as this is particularly important for the effective participation of Bulgarian citizens living abroad.

CEC candidate Zinaida Zlatanova said that ensuring fair and free elections is a task that is as difficult as it is crucial, perhaps the most important one for democracy to function properly.

CEC candidate Ivan Karchev, nominated by Progressive Bulgaria, said that the expertise he has acquired while working in the election administration would benefit the new CEC.

CEC candidate Yordan Vasilev, nominated by Progressive Bulgaria, said that he has observed many issues related to election integrity, vote manipulation, and erroneous protocols. He added: "I can help steer the electoral process toward greater digitization, which does not exclude the human factor. Digitization would improve the quality of the electoral process and reduce human error."

CEC candidate Lazarina Haralampieva, nominated by Progressive Bulgaria, said that she has ideas for the training unit and changes to the training materials, including the teaching guidelines.

CEC candidate Stoyanka Balova-Tsvetkova, nominated by Progressive Bulgaria, said that polling agencies should not report preliminary results on election day.

CEC secretary candidate Yordanka Gancheva, nominated by GERB-UDF, expressed her hope that the CEC will strengthen its cooperation with all government agencies and the academic community.

CEC candidate Georgi Bahanov, nominated by GERB-UDF, said that he has identified low voter turnout as a major problem, specifically the ability, or inability, of Bulgarian citizens to vote at their registered address.

CEC candidate Anna Aleksandrova, nominated by GERB-UDF, said that she would work to enhance the professional capacity of the election administration, to establish a training unit, and to provide year-round training for section election commissions.

CEC candidate Alina Dobreva, nominated by Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), said that her priorities would include building trust in the electoral process and making it easier for citizens to comply with election rules.

CEC candidate Vyara Todeva, nominated by CC-DB, said that steps must be taken to establish a public voter registry, as this would boost transparency and limit the opportunities for abuse. She added that every effort should be made to strengthen the unit responsible for machine voting.

CEC deputy chair candidate Ismail Osman, nominated by the MRF, said that funding must be secured for the CEC's training unit. He stated that such units should also be established within constituency election commissions.

CEC candidate Tsvetan Enchev, nominated by the MRF, said that consideration should be given to whether permanent election administration should be established. In his view, introducing an educational requirement for members of section election commissions should be on the agenda.

CEC candidate Margarita Mahaeva, nominated by Vazrazhdane, tracking who is funding political candidates' campaigns is a must, so that citizens know who they are voting for.

/КТ/