International liberals are expressing their support for the Movement for Rights and Freedoms' (MRF) Honorary Chairman, Ahmed Dogan, who is the party's long-time leader and founder, said the office of MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, who was elected to the European Parliament on MRF's ticket and co-President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. In a series of letters, the MRF's long-standing partners from around the world said they stand behind the leadership of the party's founder, Kyuchyuk's office reported here on Tuesday.
Liberal International President Hakima el Haite, Roman Jakic, coordinator of the Liberal Southeast Europe Network (LIBSEEN) and Sir Graham Watson, a longtime leader of European liberals, sent letters addressed to the MRF Honorary Chairman and members of the party's operational leadership, stressing their unwavering support for Ahmed Dogan and calling for the situation within the ranks of the MRF to be addressed, the press release said.
The addressees define the situation in the MRF as unacceptable and are unanimous that they will continue to promote the importance of the unique ethnic model based on tolerance and respect and ensure that Bulgaria will remain permanently established in the Euro-Atlantic and democratic family of developed nations, the office of MEP Kyuchyuk further said.
Last week, Parliament did not approve Rosen Zhelyazkov's nomination for prime minister by GERB-UDF, as some of MRF's deputies voted against. Before the voting took place, Ramadan Atalay, who was later expelled from the MRF's parliamentary group, said there is a rift in the relations between MRF Chairman Delyan Peevski and Ahmed Dogan. Even though Dogan had advised his party's parliamentary group not to support the GERB-UDF cabinet proposal, 30 of the 45 MRF MPs on Wednesday voted in favour of Rosen Zhelyazkov's nomination for prime minister, only 14 were against, and one abstained. Peevski's desire, on the other hand, was for the MRF to support Zhelyazkov's draft cabinet.
On Saturday, Ahmed Dogan met with MRF members, including the other MRF Chairman, Dzhevdet Chakarov, as well as some of the MPs who voted against the election of Rosen Zhelyazkov as prime minister. The meeting was held at Dogan's property in Rosenets Park on the Black Sea coast. Dzhevdet Chakarov commented after the meeting that the MRF is not functioning normally and should return to normality.
There is no Dogan-Peevski conflict and there cannot be one, MRF Chairman Delyan Peevski said a day later. He stressed that that there is one thing he will not accept, allow or overlook: "no one, regardless of their motive, ambition, personal or group egoism, has the right to set me against the Honorary Chairman of MRF, Dr Ahmed Dogan."
/MY/
news.modal.text
