site.btaProsecution Service Checks Finance Minister’s Disqualification from Voting in Local Elections

The prosecution is checking a case where Finance Minister Assen Vassilev was banned from voting in the first round of local election in Haskovo, Dobromir Yakimov, chair of the municipal election commission, told a news briefing on Sunday.   On October 29 the commission in 28th polling station did not allow Vassilev to vote because he did not meet the requirement for six-month residence duration in the country.

“I was very surprised last Friday when they called me for an explanation. Why do they want us to explain that we have complied with the law,” asked Yakimov. A police inspector told him that the check had been launched on prosecutor’s instruction. 

Yakimov said that there is no election violation or evidence of election crime. He said that he had written a motivated explanation, and all documents will be provided by November 7. The Central Election Commission has instructed municipal election officials to observe strictly the requirement for residence duration, said Yakimov. 

Asked whether Vassilev will be able to vote in the runoffs, Yakimov said that the circumstances haven’t changed since the first round of voting.