site.btaContinue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Members in Varna Stand Up for Arrested Mayor

Members of the Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition joined Varna's acting Mayor Pavel Popov at a news conference on Tuesday to stand up for Blagomir Kotsev, the mayor of Varna elected on the CC-DB ticket, who has been in custody since July 8.

Kotsev was arrested on July 8 as part of a corruption investigation prompted by a complaint from a failed public procurement tenderer. The mayor has denied any wrongdoing and insists that the charges against him have been fabricated. He remains in custody to date.

Acting Mayor Pavel Popov said Kotsev was arrested solely because he was elected to this post and would be released [from custody] once he was removed from office. The acting mayor said this became clear on September 12 when the Sofia City Court rejected Kotsev's appeal to replace his detention with a lighter measure. The ruling is appealable.

Popov and CC-DB members from Varna - Sofia Koleva, Anton Tonev, Stela Nikolova and Ivaylo Mitkovski - urged the city's residents to stage a rally again on Wednesday. So far Kotsev's arrest has triggered protests in Varna, Sofia and other cities.

Popov said the attacks on Kotsev's election as mayor had gone beyond the bounds of normal political rivalry and a critical point had been reached. A hearing at the Sofia Appellate Court is scheduled for September 18. If Kotsev is left in custody, plans to remove him from office are likely to proceed, he said.

Popov recalled that he will be acting mayor until October 30, when Kotsev's leave expires. After that, there is a one-month period during which the mayor may be absent from work without justification, so that around the end of November, the Municipal Council could appoint an acting mayor until local elections are held, probably in January.

All of this puts at risk the work of the administration, municipal policies and ongoing projects, Popov said. He added that Blagomir Kotsev still is responsible for decisions made by the municipal authority, making the argument that he has no influence from custody completely untenable.

The Anti-Corruption Commission is not investigating a specific case but is conducting a full audit of the municipality, Popov said. The administration has received over 100 questions, which are not limited to public procurement. Popov noted that the administration is fully cooperating and providing all the necessary information, but stressed that this is an intrusion by investigative authorities into the municipality's self-governance.

Stela Nikolova MP of CC-DB said that, as a lawyer, she was shocked that remand in custody can be used as punishment without any formal charges being brought. She called on people in Varna to protest and express their discontent with the work of the prosecution service.

Her position was echoed by Anton Tonev, who said the people of Varna are witnessing a farce and the trampling of justice.

Sofia Koleva, a municipal councillor from the CC-DB coalition in Varna, added that "today it is Kotsev in custody, tomorrow it could be anyone, and those who act in this way bear no responsibility".

Ivaylo Mitkovski said the coalition that nominated and elected Kotsev will stand by that choice and support all actions taken to shed light on the work of the judiciary.

Popov further commented that political forces and individuals who cannot accept that they no longer control the municipality are behind Blagomir Kotsev's arrest. They cannot accept that the mayor does not serve specific economic interests but protects the public interest, according to Popov. "There are many dissatisfied people in the Municipal Council because they are not part of a coalition around the mayor, as was the case under the previous administration," Popov said. He stressed that there is no discord within the municipality's leadership. "The issue stems from the mayor's absence, as he is the official choice of the people of Varna, while we are a team appointed by him but not voted in by the public, and this situation cannot continue," he added.