site.btaContinue the Change Leader Reaches Out to All Parties to Stop Movement for Rights and Freedoms Chair Peevski Running Pazardzhik

Continue the Change leader Assen Vassilev said on Monday his party was reaching out to Pazardzhik municipal councillors elected on Sunday who oppose Delyan Peevski and MRF-New Beginning running the town.

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) won 17.13% of the vote and eight of the 41 seats, and Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) was second with 11.75% and six seats. A total of 14 parties entered the Municipal Council.

Speaking at a news conference, Vassilev said this was invitation to dialogue for the good of Pazardzhik's citizens. He said CC-DB gained two more municipal seats than last term and boosted their vote share by 30%.

Vassilev talked about "disgraceful and humiliating scenes, particularly for the regular police officers" in the village of Ognyanovo, and accused Interior Minister Daniel Mitov and the Ministry's leadership of betraying rank-and-file officers by ordering them not to pursue vote buyers. "For an hour and a half they were not allowed to open a car boot. We saw 50-lev banknotes livestreamed online, yet the Interior Ministry later told a news conference that no crime had occurred and that those individuals were businessmen hiring workers on election day," Vassilev said. He said CC-DB demanded Mitov's resignation.

CC-DB MP Ivaylo Shotev said Mitov must resign immediately as he failed in his duty to ensure fair elections.

Pazardzhik Mayor Petar Kulenski, who was nominated by Continue the Change in 2023, said the town needs constructive dialogue and cross-party consensus to take key decisions for the its future.