site.btaBSP Congress Will Discuss Election Platform, Change of Party Leader on Saturday and Sunday

The Congress of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) is meeting on Saturday and Sunday at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, the party said. The agenda includes an analysis of the participation of BSP–United Left in the 51st National Assembly and in the government of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, the adoption of a platform for the next elections, the early termination of the mandate of the BSP chair, and the election of a new party leader.

The session of the 51st BSP Congress begins at 11 am.

In December, the BSP Executive Bureau submitted its resignation to leader Atanas Zafirov, and a meeting of the party’s National Council was scheduled for January 10. This came a few days after the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov, in which BSP–United Left also participated, resigned following protests across the country.

On January 10, the BSP National Council decided to convene the party’s Congress on February 7 and 8. The decision was to hold the congress before the elections, outgoing BSP deputy leader Ivan Takov told journalists. “At this congress, we must first have a precise and clear analysis of our participation in governance and of our parliamentary activity, as well as a platform and guidelines for the next elections, and also the election of new leadership,” he said.

After the decision of the National Council, BSP leader Atanas Zafirov said that the right time to convene a congress is immediately after the elections and that he has no plans to resign.

Three weeks later, by a majority vote, the National Council reaffirmed its decision to convene the Congress on February 7 and 8, following a proposal by the party leadership to postpone it. According to Gabriel Valkov, leader of the BSP Youth Organization, the Congress will decide Zafirov’s fate.

Among those nominated by party conferences for BSP leader are Krum Zarkov, who has already expressed in media appearances his intention to run for the post, Borislav Gutsanov, Gabriel Valkov, Kaloyan Pargov, Kristian Vigenin, Ivan Takov, and Atanas Zafirov.