Plovdiv court rejects application to nullify 2015 mayoral election
The Plovdiv Administrative Court has rejected an application by the Coalition for Slavcho Atanassov to nullify the November 2015 election of Ivan Totev as mayor of Plovdiv.
Totev, the GERB party candidate and mayor of Plovdiv since 2011, won a narrow-second round victory over the Patriotic Front candidate Atanassov on November 1.
At the second round, Totev got 50.73 per cent and Atanassov 49.27 per cent of the vote – a difference of just 1416 votes, according to the Central Election Commission. The Atanassov camp mounted a court challenge, alleging irregularities in the voting process.
This was the second time in the recent political history of Plovdiv that events unfolded in this way. In 2011, the second round also was between Totev and Atanassov, the GERB candidate’s victory was similarly narrow – although slightly larger than in 2015 – and matters also were taken to court, with a defeat for Atanassov.
The Plovdiv Administrative Court’s December 2 2015 decision is subject to appeal in the Supreme Administrative Court. Should it proceed with an appeal, the Atanassov camp has a deadline of seven days to do so.
(Main photo: podtepeto.com)
