site.btaCentral Election Commission Will Rule on MRF's Registration for Oct. 27 Elections by Wednesday

The Central Election Commission (CEC) will rule on the registration of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) for the October 27 early parliamentary elections by Wednesday at the latest, CEC Spokesperson Rositsa Mateva said at a news briefing on Tuesday. 

Mateva noted that so far 19 parties and 6 coalitions have submitted documents to the CEC, 9 from which had been registered. On Monday, the CEC refused to register the coalitions of both factions in the MRF: Democracy, Rights and Freedoms of those loyal to MRF Honorary Chair Ahmed Dogan, and MRF - New Beginning of one of its two chairs Delyan Peevski. After the CEC adopted a decision denying registration to the two coalitions, it received an application for registration of the MRF party for independent participation in the elections, Mateva said. She pointed out that so far eight more documents have been received from the two representing the MRF, withdrawing or confirming the actions of the respective party representative.

The MRF’s application is being verified by the General Directorate Civil Registration and Administrative Services, the CEC Spokesperson said, adding that the Commission will rule on the registration after all relevant documents are collected, on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mateva reminded that any decision of the CEC can be challenged and if the Supreme Administrative Court decides, the coalition or party must be registered by September 21.

Asked whether there is a chance that the MRF will not be registered, CEC Deputy Chair Tsvetozar Tomov said he hopes that a situation in which Bulgarian voters will be deprived of the right to vote for the party they had chosen will not arise.

Asked whether political pressure had been exerted in connection with the registration of coalitions, Tomov said that he is not aware of any member of the CEC being subjected to pressure. “I can vouch for myself”, he added. 

Mateva said that she was not pressured either. “We are guided solely by the law and the documents that are presented to us”, she added.