site.btaBSP Acting Chair Zafirov: Coalition Agreement to Be Signed Tuesday Between 20 Centre-left Political Entities

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) acting chair Atanas Zafirov commented on the expulsion of outgoing chair Korneliya Ninova at the Sunday meeting of the BSP National Council. Zafirov said that the decision of the Council is "a good lesson for anyone who dares to put themselves above the party and treat it like inheritance".

The National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) on Sunday voted to expel former BSP leader Kornelia Ninova from the party. Georgi Svilenski, Ivan Chenchev and Krum Donchev were also expelled from the party, according to what they told the media.

Korneliya Ninova came out of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) headquarters here on Sunday to ask her supporters to calm down and thanked them for having come to show her support. Her address came after escalation of tension between her supporters and the police who was guarding the event.

Supporters of Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Korneliya Ninova gathered in front of the BSP headquarters before the start of Sunday's National Council, where Ninova is expected to be penalized. The crowd was carrying banners reading "I support Ninova", "[Acting BSP Chair Atanas] Zafirov: Shame on the BSP"

"The BSP statute is clear, the laws in the country as well. There is a resignation, there is a temporary representative and acting head appointed by the National Council until a direct election is held. The only action called for by the party's statute and reflecting the will of the governing body, the National Council, is for the outgoing chair, Korneliya Ninova, to authorize the acting leader, Atanas Zafirov," BSP's chief legal adviser Aglika Videnova said in a statement. Videnova has been in charge of the party's registration process for various elections for the past 21 years. Her position was made public by the BSP press centre on Thursday.

On Wednesday evening, the Executive Bureau of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) released a statement regarding outgoing BSP leader Korneliya Ninova's statement made earlier in the day. The statement reads that that the party's leadership cannot be transferred by authorization.

Outgoing Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) chair Korneliya Ninova is concerned that her party may be unable to run in the October 27 early parliamentary elections because of her dispute with acting chair Atanas Zafirov.