site.btaYes, Bulgaria Co-Chair Bozhanov Says CC-DB Needs Formal Coalition Agreement

Yes, Bulgaria Co-chair Bozhidar Bozhanov said the functioning of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and its parliamentary group should be formally regulated to make them more effective, Yes, Bulgaria's press service said here Saturday.

Bozhanov spoke in an interview on Bulgarian National Television and said that despite an increase of more than 60,000 votes, the coalition lost the elections and should draw its conclusions. “We must see what we can do better, avoid the same mistakes and draw up a roadmap towards a single political entity that inspires more confidence. The first step is a coalition agreement,” Bozhanov said.

He said the process should take place through dialogue, without ultimatums or fixed deadlines. “It is reasonable to structure the processes at the start of parliamentary work and arrive at a format that allows the most effective joint work possible. Unity is what can bring us more confidence and a better result,” Bozhanov added.

Bozhanov said that CC-DB voters are shared voters and expect the coalition to be effective, especially in its role as opposition. “A government is coming that has declared its intention to dismantle the model of the captured State. Any concentration of power, however, entails risks, which is why a strong democratic opposition is needed,” he said.

Among the priorities, Bozhanov singled out participation in the election of a new Supreme Judicial Council and amendments to the Judicial System Act.

“We have already submitted such proposals, and now the caretaker cabinet has also drafted texts to improve the election rules. We want the Bar and the best law faculties to be able to nominate candidates so that the parliamentary quota becomes a real public quota, rather than a political one,” Bozhanov said.

He linked former acting prosecutor general Borislav Sarafov’s resignation to the election result. “This result showed that there are more than 160 votes outside GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). This makes clear change in the judiciary possible. The question is not when the resignation was submitted, but that the next Prosecutor General should do the work society expects.”

Bozhanov also outlined the role of the so-called Sarafov-Cholakov-Peevski triangle, which he said had provided criminal and political protection and corrupt deals in the administrative court. “Key decisions of the executive branch went there, as did public procurement. One example is the Petkov cabinet’s attempt to remove the thugs from Kapitan Andreevo, which was blocked by the administrative court. This top tier must not only leave but also be investigated and sanctioned,” he said.

The reference to the Sarafov-Cholakov-Peevski triangle follows recent claims by Yes, Bulgaria that parts of the prosecution service and the judiciary had operated within what the party describes as the [GERB leader Boyko] Borissov - [Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan] Peevski model. After Sarafov resigned as acting Prosecutor General on April 22, Bozhanov said the resignation was only the first step and called for checks into Sarafov’s assets and case files related to election crimes, arguing that the prosecution service had protected vote buyers to preserve a Borissov-Peevski-Sarafov triangle.

Yes, Bulgaria later submitted an alert to the prosecution service after a BIRD investigation alleged recordings involving former Supreme Administrative Court chair Georgi Cholakov and an alleged intermediary in arranging court decisions in exchange for bribes; Cholakov denied the allegations and said modern technology could be used to create fake audio content.

In conclusion, Bozhanov noted the institutions’ efforts to hold the elections. “[Acting Ministry of Interior Secretary General] Georgi Kandev and [caretaker Minister of the Interior] Emil Dechev did very well in their task of ensuring fair elections. Trust in the election process is more than twice as high as in the previous elections,” he said.