Bulgaria’s 2021 elections: 87 candidate MPs worked for communist-era secret service
A total of 87 candidate Members of Parliament in Bulgaria’s April 4 2021 elections worked for the country’s communist-era secret service State Security, either as staff members, agents or collaborators, according to a list published by the Dossier Commission on March 23.
The Dossier Commission is the official body empowered by statute to check people in various walks of public life for previous affiliation with State Security or the Bulgarian People’s Army.
Of the list of 87, most have been announced before, including VMRO leader and current Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov, who was State Security’s Agent Ivan in its Sixth Department.
Several are found in the candidate lists of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Movement for Rights and Freedoms, VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement, Patriotic Coalition Volya and NFSB, and the Revival of the Fatherland party.
On the list of candidates from Boiko Borissov’s GERB-Union of Democratic Forces electoral coalition, there is one.
There are three on the list of cable television presenter Slavi Trifonov’s Ima Takuv Narod party, and two on the list of Izpravi Se! Mutri Vun!, the formation made up of former ombudsman Maya Manolova, anti-government protest organisers the Poison Trio and a number of small extra-parliamentary parties.
Also represented are pro-Russian parties Ataka and Vuzhrazhdane. On the list of Tsvetan Tsvetanov’s Republicans for Bulgaria party, there is one candidate who worked for State Security.
No candidate for Hristo Ivanov’s Democratic Bulgaria was identified as having worked for State Security.
Of the 87 names, only two are women.
Bulgaria’s constitution makes lustration unlawful and having worked for State Security is not a bar to being an election candidate.
The list below contains a translation of the names of the candidates and the parties or coalitions on whose behalf they are candidates. The place names indicate the location of the voting district they are standing in. Where code names are not given, that is an indication that the individual was a State Security staff member, rather than an agent.
Alexander Blagoev, “Tenev”, Razgrad and Sofia, Citizens From the Protest.
Alexander Urumov, “Abel”, Pazardzhik and Sofia, VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement.
Alexander Milanov, Montana, Vuzrazhdane.
Angel Rusev, “Artuom”, Plovdiv, Vuzhrazhdane.
Boiko Klechkov, Kyustendil, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Boncho Bonchev, Sofia, Bulgarian National Unity.
Boris Zlatarev, Plovdiv, Ataka.
Borislav Vassilev, Pleven, Direct Democracy.
Boyan Chukov, Sofia and Stara Zagora, VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement.
Valentin Vukov, Shoumen, Republicans for Bulgaria.
Valento Vassilev, “Alento”, Vaskes”, Pleven, Alternative for a Bulgarian Revival.
Velizar Enchev, Haskovo, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Vladimir Chuchuev, “Assen”, Montana and Shoumen, Revival of the Fatherland.
Vladimir Gurbelov, “Pliska”, Smolyan, Patriotic Coalition – Volya and NFSB.
Vladislav Ivanov “Alexeev”, Plovdiv, Bulgarian Progressive Line.
Vulyo Iliev, Plovdiv, Revival of the Fatherland.
Georgi Andonov, “Kolev”, Plovdiv, Patriotic Coalition – Volya and NFSB.
Georgi Atanassov, “Ivanov”, Plovdiv, Revival of the Fatherland.
Georgi Georgiev, “Ognyan”, Plovdiv, Revival of the Fatherland.
Georgi Chakurov, “Hidalgo”, “Simeon”, Haskovo, Movement Together for Change.
Georgi Georgiev, “Ivanov”, Sofia, VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement.
Georgi Todorov, “Vesko”, Dobrich, Bulgarian Progressive Line.
Georgi Chakurov, “Ognyan”, Varna, Patriotic Coalition Volya and NFSB.
Darin Kinov, “Vassil”, Pleven, VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement.
Daud Ibryam, “Iskerov”, Rousse, Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Dimitar Dimitrov, Sofia, MIR.
Dimitar Stoyanov, Bourgas, Bulgarian Progressive Line.
Emil Dimitrov “Sportist”, Sofia, Movement Together for Change.
Emil Dinev, “Yavor”, Kyustendil, Patriotic Coalition Volya and NFSB.
Emil Vladimirov, “Todorov”, Montana, Ataka.
Emil Georgiev, “Stanislav”, Sofia, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Ivan Hinovski, “Habov”, Vratsa and Sofia, Ima Takuv Narod.
Ivan Vachev, Sofia, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Ivan Turpomanov, “Kula”, Pazardzhik, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Ivan Dimitrov, “Ognyan”, Sofia, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Ivan Kyurkchiev, “Ivailo”, Rousse, GERB-Union of Democratic Forces electoral coalition.
Ivan Borissov, “Yagoda”, Razgrad, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Ivan Ayarov, “Antonov”, Stara Zagora, Revival of the Fatherland.
Ivan Ivanov, “Tsenov”, Pleven, Nation.
Yordan Yordanov, “Mihail”, Stara Zagora, We The Citizens.
Yordan Kazakov, “Romanovski”, Rousse, Movement Together for Change.
Yordan Bogatinov, Sofia, Bulgarian National Unity.
Kolyo Paramov, “Yakov”, Sofia and Haskovo, Patriotic Coalition Volya and NFSB.
Krassimir Karakachanov, “Ivan”, Pleven, VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement.
Krassimir Tsonev, “Sasho”, Rousse, Conservative Unification of the Right – КОД.
Krum Todorov, “Valentina”, Vratsa, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Lyubomir Zahariev, Sofia, Citizens From the Protest.
Maxim Velkov, Sofia, Citizens From the Protest.
Mariyana Sarafova, “Mariya”, Plovdiv, Izpravi Se! Mutri Vun!
Mehmed Yumer, “Svilen”, Silistra, Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Nako Stefanov, Bourgas and Sofia, Revival of the Fatherland.
Neli Tsenova, “Dora”, Citizens From the Protest.
Nikola Todorov, “Svilarov”, Sofia and Turgovishte, Movement Together for Change.
Nikolai Radulov, Sofia, Ima Takuv Narod.
Ognyan Saparev, “Martin”, Plovdiv, Revival of the Fatherland.
Petar Popov, “Boris”, Stara Zagora, Patriotic Coalition Volya and NFSB.
Radko Handzhiev, “Nikolai”, Sofia, Revival of the Fatherland.
Radko Radev, “Dimitrov”, Bourgas, Ataka.
Ramadan Atalay, “Vergil”, Plovdiv, Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Roumen Hristov, Sofia, Vuzhrazhdane.
Roumen Gechev, “Ekonomov”, Pleven, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Roumen Popov, Sofia, Ima Takuv Narod.
Roumen Riza, “Petar”, Lovech, Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Sando Zahariev, “Mannov”, Sofia, Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Sasho Lozanov, Stara Zagora, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Sergey Ivanov, “Praga”, Sofia, Movement Together for Change.
Slavi Netsov, “Lada”, Vratsa, Patriotic Coalition – Volya and NFSB.
Slavcho Velkov, “Peev”, Pazardzhik and Sofia, Movement of Non-party Candidates political party.
Stefcho Borissov, “Perun”, Montana, VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement.
Stoyan Stoyanov, “Yordan”, Kyustendil, Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Stoyan Dimitrov, “Velichkov”, Sofia, Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Tasko Ermenkov, Razgrad, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Todor Kostadinov, “Radoslav”, Sofia, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Todor Petrov, “Vitosha”, Veliko Turnovo and Sofia, Direct Democracy.
Todor Todorov, Plovdiv, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Trendafil Mitev, “Tukadil”, “Tukadad”, “Tukadit”, Blagoevgrad and Turgovishte, Movement Together for Change.
Tyanko Arakchiev, Haskovo, Alternative for Bulgarian Revival.
Hristo Iliev, “Yanko”, Sliven, Izpravi Se! Mutri Vun!
Hristo Dunchev, Pazardzhik and Turgovishte, Party of the Greens.
Hristo Smolenov, “Andrei”, Sofia, VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement.
Hristo Petkov, Sofia, Patriotic Coalition Volya and NFSB.
Hristo Monov, “Gogov”, Vratsa and Plovdiv, Revival of the Fatherland.
Hristofor Dochev, Pleven, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Tsenko Stoyanov, Sofia, Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Chavdar Milanov, “Philip”, Sofia, Alternative for Bulgarian Revival.
Yanko Yankov, Yambol, Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
The Dossier Commission’s report, in Bulgarian, can be found at this link.
(Photo, of the red star that used to be atop the Party House, the building this year put into use as the venue for the National Assembly: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
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