Bulgarian President Plevneliev calls for ‘responsible and positive’ election campaign
In a special message to mark the start on April 12 of the official campaigning period ahead of Bulgaria’s ahead-of-term national parliamentary elections, President Rossen Plevneliev called for responsible and positive campaigning and urged parties to avoid smear campaigns.
A caretaker cabinet, headed by Marin Raykov and appointed by Plevneliev, currently has stewardship of Bulgaria pending the outcome of the May 12 elections. Regular elections would have been held in July but the earlier date was the result of the resignation of the Borissov administration and the refusal by all three major parties to seek to form a cabinet.
Before the April 12 starting date for campaigning, recent weeks and months have seen a number of allegations flung against various politicians from various quarters.
“Smear campaigns are not a solution and won’t impress Bulgarian voters. Bulgarian voters will be impressed by a constructive political race, based on a juxtaposition of ideas, programmes and government decisions,” Plevneliev said.
He called on political parties to heed what people were saying, to suggest solutions and to undertake clear-cut engagements.
The political debate during the campaign should focus on the daily agenda of society, Plevneliev said. People expect a change, a different approach to problems and a new kind of engagement with those who govern the country, Plevneliev said.
“The forthcoming elections are a chance for us to set the direction for Bulgaria’s development. Our votes will determine the priorities, will express our claims to those in power. Let us show everyone the level of maturity we reached, our devotion to European values and desire to upgrade our democratic and constitutional state. The only way to do so is democratic elections,” Plevneliev said.
“It is our responsibility to regain the trust of citizens,” he said. “People will give their trust to those who make realistic and executable promises. I expect reasonable behavior from the political parties,” Plevneliev said.
(Photo: president.bg)
