site.btaYes, Bulgaria Co-chair Mirchev: We’ll Take Steps to Close Counter-Corruption Commission, Rule of Law State Remains a Challenge

We’ll propose legislative amendments to dissolve the counter-corruption commission, said Ivaylo Mirchev, co-chair of Yes, Bulgaria and MP from Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria, during a press conference at the BTA National Press Club in Burgas. "The commission has undergone various transformations over the years, but it has always served as a tool to hit the opposition," he stated.

Mirchev directly accused DPS MP Delyan Peevski of “privatizing” the commission:

“It is no longer a counter-corruption commission – it’s Peevski’s commission for targeting opposition figures. We want it shut down. No matter who is appointed to lead it, the commission inevitably becomes a political truncheon,” he said.

“There is nothing wrong with our mayors and municipal councillors being investigated—but when it is done selectively, targeting only opposition representatives, we have every reason to question the sincerity of those actions,” said Mirchev. “We expect the same efforts to be directed at officials from GERB, MRF, and BSP, but that’s not happening,” he said.

 “The rule of law remains a challenge for us,” said Mirchev, underscoring that “there must be one law for everyone.”

“If a mayor has done wrong, they must be brought to justice, with proper evidence presented, and be presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Mirchev stated.

 “Right now, the commission is being used so that Delyan Peevski can make a phone call and say, ‘I want you to go after Mayor X.’ That cannot happen in a country that is part of the Schengen Area and the eurozone,” Mirchev warned.