site.btaTISP Leader Slams CC-DB for Acting Scared in Context of Recent Violent Murders

In a Facebook post published on Tuesday night, There Is Such a People leader Slavi Trifonov compared Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) to a "frightened and panicked person" with the coalition's actions following the six violent deaths announced between February 2 and February 6. Trifonov referred specifically to CC-DB Deputy Floor Leaders Bozhidar Bozhanov tabling amendments to the Non-profit Legal Persons Act and the Commerce Act that aim to increase the level of control exerted over NGOs.

Trifonov wrote: "This shocking case, provisionally named Petrohan, and the six victims of murder and suicide clearly reflect very badly on one of the main culprits, CC-DB." He accused CC-DB members of receiving funds from NGOs and funnelling state funds to the same NGOs.

The leader of TISP said that while CC-DB is trying to ban NGOs from adapting names similar to those of state agencies and services, it was under Nadejda Iordanova (today, CC-DB Co-Floor Leader) as justice minister, when the Registry Agency allowed for an NGO to be named National Protected Areas Control Agency. The first three men who were found dead near the Petrohan Pass were allegedly members of this NGO.

Referring to calls from DB Chair Atanas Atanassov to convene joint closed meetings of the parliamentary Committee on Internal Security and Public Order and the parliamentary Committee for Control of the Security Services to address the six violent deaths, Trifonov stated: "Atanas Atanassov is stepping up his efforts to convene committees to which SANS [State Agency for National Security] and the Ministry of Interior should report on the Petrohan case. This is [happening] despite the fact that their minister, Boyko Rashkov, closed the Godech Regional Police Station, ordered the withdrawal of the Border Police from the area, and thus ensured a complete lack of control over the Petrohan sect."

Trifonov alleged that CC-DB would like to see President Iliana Iotova appoint Bulgarian National Bank Deputy Governor and former CC chair Andrey Gurov as caretaker prime minister, so that he can "swipe everything under the rug, terminate all possible investigations against them [CC-DB], assist them in the elections, and everything will be hushed up".