site.btaDzhevdet Chakarov: We Will Challenge Legitimacy of National Conference of MRF – New Beginning in Court

Speaking to reporters in the village of Ruen (Burgas Region) on Sunday, Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) leader Dzhevdet Chakarov announced that the party members loyal to the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) honorary chair Ahmed Dogan plan to challenge the legitimacy of Sunday’s extraordinary national conference of the MRF – New Beginning in court.

The rift in MRF amid what appears to be a battle over the control of the party between Delyan Peevski, one of the two official leaders (the other being Dzhevdet Charakov), and founder and Honorary Chair Ahmed Dogan has left to having two MRF spinoffs in the new Parliament: one is the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (of Ahmed Dogan and Dzhevdet Chakarov) and MRF-New Beginning of Delyan Peevski. The battle between the two factions over the MRF party, however, continues.

"We cannot recognize its legitimacy. […] The expelled chair and members of the leadership from the authentic MRF are now excluding us. And these same expelled individuals are organizing today’s gathering," Chakarov said.

According to him, "today’s gathering is a significant step and yet another attempt to usurp not only the true MRF but also the political system." Referring to the MRF – New Beginning leadership, he noted that those promoting the Euro-Atlantic agenda failed to attract representatives of European Union and NATO member states to Sunday’s conference.

"As far as I know, there is an intention to erase Dr. Ahmed Dogan. Removing the honorary chair from the MRF statutes also means erasing the party's values and strategic goals," Chakarov added.

On the agenda of Sunday’s MRF extraordinary conference are nominations and election of a new MRF Chair and Central Council head, changes in the MRF Charpter, and adoption of decisions revoking previous ones by party bodies - all to be discussed behind closed doors. One of the changes expected to be made is the abolition of the figure of Honorary Chairman.

On Thursday, the Sofia City Court refused to enter changes in the record of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) in the register of political parties. The changes were related to the exclusion of Delyan Peevski and several other people from the party.

BTA recalls that, in July, the MRF split into two factions - one loyal to MRF founder and honorary chairman Ahmed Dogan and another led by Delyan Peevski. Members of the MRF who declared their loyalty to the MRF Honorary Chairman and founder Ahmed Dogan left or were expelled from the MRF parliamentary group in the 50th National Assembly, including co-floor leader Dzhevdet Chakarov. The parliamentary group remained under the leadership of the other MRF co-floor leader, Delyan Peevski. He and Chakarov had been elected co-leaders at the last regular MRF National Conference in February 2024 at Dogan's proposal. In the last snap parliamentary elections, the two fractions of the MRF run separately for Parliament, registered as Alliance for Rights and Freedoms of Dogan and Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning of Peevski. Both formations made it into the 51st National Assembly and formed the parliamentary groups of Democracy for Rights and Freedoms (DRF) and Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning, respectively.