Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry says it is working ‘actively, at high speed’ against vote-buying
Bulgaria’s caretaker Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov said on October 9 that the ministry was “ working very actively and at high speed with all legal operational methods” against vote-buying ahead of this month’s early parliamentary elections.
Ilkov was attending a meeting held at the invitation of President Roumen Radev and attended by representatives of various institutions response for the preparation of the October 27 elections.
Iklov said that as of 9am on October 9, a total of 89 reports had been received, 42 pre-trial proceedings initiated and 336 warning protocols drawn up. There had been a total of 128 special operations by police, he said.
He did not specify which period of time these figures covered and the ministry did not disclose whether the figures included the report sent on October 8 by the Yes Bulgaria political party containing the names and details of 200 alleged vote-buyers.
“The necessary actions have been taken to check on people about whom there is evidence that in previous or during the current elections they participated in some way in corrupting the vote of Bulgarian citizens,” Ilkov said, in a sentence that left it unclear what he meant, using a word that could mean “checking on” or “securing”, ambiguous in its meaning even to those whose mother tongue is Bulgarian.
A statement by the President’s office quoted Radev as telling the meeting: “Our society expects that the fight against the bought and controlled vote should not be reduced only to the vote dealers, but also to pay attention to those who use their services and give the money accordingly”.
There was a lot of information about actions that are evidence of vote-buying, Radev said.
He said that buying votes discredits not only the idea of democracy, but also delegitimize the institutions, even before they are elected.
“Distinctive names and nicknames, unfortunately known from the recent past, have emerged,” he said, adding that no report of a bought and controlled vote should be remain without a convincing response.
In connection with the published lists of names in regard to buying votes, Radev said that it should be established whether the information was true.
If it was, there should be “uncompromising actions” by the Prosecutor’s Office, he said.
Radev said that nothing repelled people more from the ballot box and politics than obvious evidence that votes were being or controlled and “they see that the representatives of this vote get their hands on the Bulgarian Parliament and begin to hold their destiny”.
(Photo: Interior Ministry)
