site.btaAlliance for Rights and Freedoms Registered by Central Election Commission Subject to Confirmation

Rumen Yonchev, Chairman of the Agrarian National Union, and Veselin Penev, representing Just Bulgaria United Patriots (SBOR), Wednesday filed papers for participation of an Alliance for Rights and Freedoms in the October 27 parliamentary elections with the Central Election Commission (CEC). The Alliance was registered subject to confirmation.

Asked if representatives of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) are part of the Alliance, Yonchev said: "The campaign is yet to start, as is the registration of the lists and the naming of the top-of-the-list candidates - we will make things very clear."

"The name Alliance for Rights and Freedoms was not chosen by chance; 'Alliance' signifies a broader opening to all Bulgarians as we seek support for radical change," said Yonchev. He is confident that voters will not be confused over the name "because they see very clearly who is who in Bulgarian politics".

On September 9, CEC refused to register the coalitions of both factions in MRF: Democracy, Rights and Freedoms (DRF) - MRF of those loyal to the Movement's Honorary Chair Ahmed Dogan, and MRF - New Beginning of Delyan Peevski. The election administration reasoned that the Election Code does not allow one party to be in more than one coalitions. The decisions for both were made in a unanimous vote of 15 votes.

On Wednesday, the DRF-MRF coalition, which includes SBOR and the Agrarian National Union, filed an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) against CEC's decision to refuse the coalition registration for participation in the parliamentary elections. The case is set for a public court session on September 12.

Also on Wednesday, SAC annulled as unlawful CEC's refusal to register the MRF - New Beginning coalition for participation in October 27 snap elections. The court decision is unappealable. Rumen Yonchev commented that the decision was not surprising, though quite vitiated.