site.btaFormer Finance Minister Chobanov, Chief of Defence and Controversial Politician Delyan Peevski to Top Some MRF Party Lists

Former Finance Minister Chobanov, Chief of Defence
and Controversial Politician Delyan Peevski to Top
Some MRF Party Lists

Sofia, August 28 (BTA) - Former finance minister Peter Chobanov,
former chief of defence General Simeon Simeonov and
controversial politician and media figure Delyan Peevski are
among the names that top the party lists of the Movement for
Rights and Freedoms (MRF) for the forthcoming parliamentary
elections. The news was released by MRF leader Lyutvi Mestan at
a news conference Thursday.

Mestan declared the list is "exceedingly young" as the average
age of the candidates with safe seats in the lists was 40 years.
In his words, there is a balance between continuity and change
as 60 per cent of the MRF MPs from the previous parliament will
also enter the 43rd National Assembly.

Five of the candidates who top lists are representatives of the
civil quota which, Mestan says, proves that the policy of
"opening" the MRF out is continuing. Two of the lists are headed
by ethnic Roma.

Chobanov is one of the most distinctive representatives of the
MRFТs civil quota and the inclusion of General Simeonov in the
lists is anything but unnatural as the MRF is the "most pro-NATO
party", Mestan declared.

The list in Blagoevgrad is topped by Aliosman Imamov, in Bourgas
- by Hyusein Hafuzov, in Varna - by Yourdan Tsonev, in Veliko
Turnovo - by Kamen Kostadinov, in Vidin - by Stanislav
Atanassov. In Vratsa - by Kamen Kostadinov, in Gabrovo - by
Chetin Kazak, in Dobrich - by Rushen Riza, in Kurdzhali - by
leader Lyutvi Mestan, in Kyustendil - by Alexander Metodiev, in
Lovech - by Djeihan Ibryamov, in Montana - by Peter Chobanov, in
Pazardzhik - by Delyan Peevski, in Pernik - by Nigyar Djafer,
in Plovdiv city - Ventsislav Kaimakanov, in Plovdiv region - by
Djevdet Chakurov, in Razgrad - by Ahmed Ahmedov, in Rousse - by
Ferihan Ahmedova, in Silistra - by Ramadan Atalai, in Sliven -
by Yanko Yankov, in Smolyan - by Mustafa Karadaya, in Sofia's
23rd multi-member constituency - by Prof. Mariana Georgieva, in
the 24th multi-member constituency - by General Simeon Simeonov,
in the 25th multi-member constituency - by Peter Chobanov, in
Sofia region - by Emil Ivanov, in Stara Zagora - by Delyan
Peevski, in Turgovishte - by Tuncher Kurdzhaliev, in Haskovo -
by Lyutvi Mestan, in Shoumen - by Aidoan Ali and in Yambol - by
Iliya Iliev.

Asked to comment on the opinion of GERB leader Boyko Borissov
that if he is in power there will be at least 10 deputy
ministers from the minorities, Mestan said that what they heard
from GERB was a concept of limited integration. The MRF has
never favoured the quota principle of integration and everyone
should be integrated according to his/her own qualities and
professionalism, he added./BR/