site.btaUPDATED President Iotova Signs Decree Terminating Powers of Interior Ministry Secretary General Rashkov

In connection with a decision by the Council of Ministers, President Iliana Iotova Wednesday signed a decree terminating the powers of Chief Commissioner Miroslav Rashkov and dismissing him from his post as Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior, the head of State's Press Secretariat said.

On Monday, caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev said that he had proposed the dismissal of Rashkov. “We, as a caretaker government, do not have much time to organize fair, just and lawful elections,” he noted, adding that the Secretary General is the highest-ranking professional official in the Interior Ministry and plays an important role in the electoral process. For this reason, the role of the Secretary General is key to guaranteeing fair and lawful elections, Dechev said.

Among the reasons cited for Rashkov’s dismissal were what Dechev described as the poor organization of last year’s local elections in Pazardzhik and a slow police response. The minister noted that citizens had stepped in to prevent vote buying themselves. Dechev also criticized the way the police, under the leadership of the Secretary General, handled provocations by extremist groups during the protests on November 26, 2025. He also pointed to what he called a lack of senior professional leadership following reports about the crime at the Petrohan lodge.

The minister further referred to the alleged failure to investigate threats against the mayor of Bistritsa in July 2025, when two masked men entered the town hall. Dechev also cited five on-the-spot traffic penalty notices issued to Rashkov under the Road Traffic Act. The minister said all five were paid on Monday after he ordered a review, shortly after the information became public.

Speaking during a hearing in Parliament earlier in the day, Rashkov said that he categorically rejected all reasons cited for his proposed removal as Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior. ”I stand on the highest rostrum in Bulgaria in my capacity as a Bulgarian police officer and a professional with a 20-year career in the Ministry of Interior. For me, the profession of police officer is a symbol of courage and dedication for the benefit of citizens and society,” he noted.