site.btaLocal Elections in Pazardzhik Showed Bulgaria Falling into Mafia’s Hands – Vazrazhdane Leader Kostadinov

The local elections in Pazardzhik (southern Bulgaria) showed once again that Bulgaria is increasingly falling into the hands of the mafia, said here on Monday Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov, as quoted by the party’s press center.

"The electoral process in Pazardzhik once again demonstrated that Bulgarians did not go out to vote. Thus, their fate was left in the hands of the bought and corporate vote," he stated. "The results clearly show that [Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan] Peevski has taken over GERB’s vote buyers. As a result, he and his proxies have the most municipal councilors. GERB is now the sixth political force," Kostadinov commented. Vazrazhdane remains with the same result as last time — retaining its two municipal councilors, he noted. The entire election situation shows that Bulgarian cities are increasingly controlled and in the hands of the mafia, Kostadinov said.

Vazrazhdane’s organization in Pazardzhik will continue to restore citizens' faith that it is possible to have politicians who govern both locally and nationally by putting the Bulgarian national interest first, and for whom the will of the Bulgarian people comes before all else, he stated.

“However, it is becoming increasingly clear that Bulgaria is in urgent need of a re-founding. If we do not create a new social contract between the citizens and the authorities, our state will slowly sink into oblivion,” said the leader of "Vazrazhdane."

The MRF won the municipal council elections in Pazardzhik with 17.13% of the votes, the Municipal Electoral Commission announced earlier on Monday, after processing 100% of the tally sheets from Sunday’s election day. Later, the Commission also announced the distribution of seats in the new Municipal Council and the names of the elected councilors.