site.bta52 Nominations Submitted for BSP Chair, Some Nominees Withdraw

A total of 52 nominations for chair of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) have been submitted by municipal party organizations, with some of the nominees having withdrawn their candidacies, Rumyana Siderova, chair of the Nominations Committee, told delegates at the 51st BSP Congress on Friday. She noted that the list also includes individuals who have already left the party.

Earlier on Saturday, Atanas Zafirov resigned as BSP Chair, emphasizing that he was stepping down not because he rejects the achievements of his tenure, but to avoid participating in a process that could deepen divisions within the party.

Among those nominated for the leadership post are Krum Zarkov, Borislav Gutsanov, Kaloyan Pargov, Ivan Takov, Gabriel Valkov, Atanas Zafirov, Atanas Atanasov, Dragomir Stoynev, Kiril Dobrev, Petar Vitanov, Rumen Ovcharov and Sergey Stanishev.

Stoynev and Pargov have already announced before the delegates that they will not take part in the race for BSP chair.

Stoynev described BSP as a solid party machine and added that strong and abrupt leadership carries as much risk as weak and indecisive leadership. He also said he would not stand on the candidate lists for the upcoming elections, stressing that new people are needed there. “Politics is not a sprint, it is a relay race,” he said, adding that it is important for BSP not to lose itself and to be prepared both programmatically and organizationally. “Bulgaria will always need BSP,” Stoynev concluded.

Outgoing BSP Deputy Chair Kaloyan Pargov said that he would not enter the leadership contest because he does not want to split the vote further. “I see at least two people who want to go all the way. There is no need to subject ourselves to endless overnight elections. That is why I am stepping aside, because I want us to leave united, not offended,” Pargov said. According to him, BSP can do without any individual, but Bulgaria cannot do without BSP. He told delegates that at this dramatic moment everyone must think about how to save the party and the left-wing idea together, by securing representation in the next parliament.