site.btaCC Co-Chair Petkov on Photo with Counter-Corruption Commission Head: I Was Walking Freely, He Stopped Me

Continue the Change (CC) Co-Chair Kiril Petkov commented Wednesday on the photo of him talking to the current head of the counter-corruption commission, Anton Slavchev, which was showed to the media by Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) - New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski earlier in the day. "I was walking freely on the pavement, where I was stopped by Anton Slavchev," Petkov told journalists in Parliament.

Peevski's act came in response to Petkov's statement that the MRF - New Beginning leader and GERB-UDF Floor Leader Boyko Borissov were working in tandem to "manipulate the rules so as to make sure Anton Slavchev takes the helm" of the Commission.

Commenting on the photo, the CC Co-Chair stressed that exactly a year ago his party demanded Slavchev's resignation and continues to do so. "Bulgaria will not change until there is at least one institution that fights corruption. With Anton Slavchev [at the helm of the Commission] this cannot happen," he said, adding that the European Commission has realized this and has set a condition for the Government not to allow the head of the Counter-Corruption Commission to be chosen by only one party or coalition.

Petkov argued that Borissov and Peevski now face the dilemma whether to give up the second payment under the Recovery and Resilience Plan or their man in the Counter-Corruption Commission.