site.btaSupreme Court of Cassation Confirms Ninova's Striking off as Bulgarian Socialist Party Leader

The Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) Monday confirmed a Sofia City Court ruling of July 10 that strikes off Korneliya Ninova as Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader and representative of the party and listing Atanas Zafirov as acting leader. The SCC's ruling is final.

The case was initiated on the appeal of BSP ex-member Krum Donchev. On September 1, he was expelled from the party by the BSP National Council together with Ninova, Georgi Svilenski, and Ivan Chenchev.

Earlier on Monday, BSP ex-members Chenchev and Svilensky submitted over 4,000 signatures on behalf of the BSP to the Central Election Commission (CEC) for registration in the October 27 early parliamentary elections.  

The BSP will run in the upcoming elections for the 51st National Assembly in a coalition "BSP - United Left", the party's Executive Bureau said in a position sent to the media on Monday. The legitimate leadership of the BSP will proceed with the registration of the coalition for participation in the early parliamentary elections as soon as the Supreme Court of Cassation, after its session on Monday, announces its decision on the registration of Atanas Zafirov as acting chairman of the BSP, the party's acting leadership said. According to the statement, BSP expects the CEC to reject the registration based on the documents submitted by Georgi Svilenski and Ivan Chenchev because they do not represent the party.

"The documents for registration of BSP submitted today to the CEC by Svilenski and Chenchev - persons who are no longer members of the BSP, representing Korneliya Ninova, who is no longer either chair or member of the BSP, with a petition that was not collected by the legitimate local structures of the party, is an attempt to deliberately harm both the BSP and the broad left coalition. This is being done in the interests of forces that do not want to see a strong left in Bulgaria", the BSP Executive Bureau said.