Legal absurdities surrounding the registration of MRF and BSP for the October early parliamentary elections are deepening

The Central Election Commission (CEC) on September 5 restarted the registration of the two wings of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and asked the factions to prove that the MRF party itself does not participate in either of the two coalitions declared for the vote. And at the same time a blow came to Delyan Peevski's wing - the CEC refused registration of “MRF - New Beginning” to participate in the local by-elections. The same decision was taken for Atanas Zafirov's Bulgarian Socilaist Party (BSP).

According to the Bulgarian electoral law, a political party can be registered in only one coalition for participation in the same election. In addition, both factions have to submit a bank account of a party other than the MRF.

Delyan Peevski, who intends to form a coalition called “Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning” said on September 5 that he did not accept the CEC decision and described it as “criminal”.

Hours after the CEC instructed both wings of the MRF to prove that the MRF party itself was not part of either of the two coalitions, two different readings came from the sidelines and two refusals. According to the guidelines, the two factions have until September 7 to submit evidence. "MRF - New Beginning" said they would not prove anything and would wait for the final decision of CEC. Ahmed Dogan's people said they would not back down because MRF is one.

He said that that the Head of CEC, Kameliya Neikova, is a deputy chair of one of the political parties that is intended to be part of the coalition to be formed by the Ahmed Dogan faction of the MRF.

There would be a “new beginning” “no matter how difficult it is for all the oligarchs, mafia thieves in Bulgaria, and Moscow and Putin. Today, we refuse to accept the criminal decision of the CEC," said Delyan Peevski, chairman of the parliamentary group of MRF.

Timur Halilov, an MP who is among the Dogan loyalists expelled from the MRF parliamentary group, said that Peevski had been expelled from the MRF and did not speak on behalf of the MRF.

“We expect the authorities, which on 2 September were obstructed in an unprecedented and brutal way, to do their job. We expect these authorities to shake off their dependencies, if any, and do what is necessary to ensure the triumph of statehood.There is one MRF and we have done everything necessary to register it,” Halilov said.

At the same time, a new plot came up - again at yesterday's meeting, which lasted until midnight, the CEC refused to allow Peevski to participate in the partial local elections in some municipalities on 20 October and registered the faction around Dogan. Today, however, a re-vote in the CEC was necessary because a mistake was made in the decision - Peevski's coalition is written as "Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Time", not "New Beginning". These decisions can be appealed in court.

The CEC made the same decision for the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and voted to refuse the “BSP for Bulgaria” coalition an application signed by acting leader Atanas Zafirov to participate in the October 20 by-elections.

Images by BTA

Meanwhile, the Administrative Court in Sofia upheld the decision of the Central Election Commission, which registered the acting leader Atanas Zafirov as representing the BSP for Bulgaria coalition. The decision comes on the day BSP signed a coalition agreement with 15 leftist parties in Bulgaria to run in the elections under the name "BSP - United Left".

However, the Supreme Cassation Court is due to make a final ruling next Monday on the issue of Kornelia Ninova's leadership - two days before the registration deadline.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) former leader Kornelia Ninova was expelled from the party on September 1.

Otherwise, registration at the CEC continues smoothly for some parties - today two more parliamentary formations - "Vazrazhdane" and "There is Such a People", submitted documents with applications for participation in the power.

Central Election Commission decided to accept the papers from both MRF factions simultaneously