site.btaDemocratic Bulgaria Chair Atanassov: Parliament Blockade Aims to Show Who Runs the Country

Тhe blockade of Parliament was intended to show the public who runs the country, said Atanas Atanassov, leader of Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB), co-chair of Democratic Bulgaria (DB) and MP of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), commenting on the situation outside the National Assembly earlier on Thursday morning, which has led to increased police presence.

Earlier in the day, MPs from CC-DB blocked the entrances to Parliament’s staff car park with their vehicles in order to prevent the cars of GERB leader Boyko Borissov and of MRF – New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski from entering. This was done to show support for Blagomir Kotsev, Mayor of Varna, and Nikola Barbutov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia, who have been in held in custody. 

“We are launching a large-scale inspection of the National Programme for Municipal Project Financing,” CC-DB MP Yordan Ivanov said. “We have received dozens of reports from mayors that they are not receiving payments, while other municipalities are being favoured. We have repeatedly asked the Minister’s political cabinet during meetings of the Regional Policy Committee on what principle payments are being made, but we have received no answer,” he added.

According to Ivanov, the programme has turned into an instrument for exerting political pressure on freely elected mayors. “We have requested detailed information from the Minister in order to prove that this programme is being used to favour certain municipalities and to exert political influence on mayors,” he further said.