site.btaFormer Varna Mayor Portnih Says Election Tally Sheets Are Public, Cannot Be Falsified

The election tally sheets are public, drawn up under strict procedures, and cannot be falsified, former Varna mayor from GERB Ivan Portnih said in a statement released to the media in Varna on Thursday. His position came in response to reports that Continue the Change (CC) MPs Lena Borislavova and Bogdan Bogdanov have officially filed a complaint against him with the Counter-Corruption Commission (CCC) earlier in the day. Portnih described the MPs' actions as a "legal absurdity" that is "difficult to take seriously."

"Lena Borislavova and Bogdan Bogdanov have staged a publicity stunt at my expense to distract from the real issues - corruption and the internal collapse of the CC-DB," Portnih's statement reads. He recalled that the complaint is based on a media interview with former head of GERB’s structure in Varna Ruslan Toshev, who spoke about "internal party issues".

In an interview with Club Z, Toshev alleged that Portnih manipulated preferential voting in his favor, as well as in favor of other GERB candidates, by "stealing" preferences that were meant for Toshev and redistributing them, the CC’s press service said earlier on Thursday.

Addressing the CC representatives, Portnih said that the problems are in their own "camp." "Toshev’s interview contains no concrete accusations - only personal interpretations and the words of a frustrated former local leader. His claim that I 'stole his preferences' is completely unfounded and absurd," Portnih's statement reads. He noted that preferences are counted by district election commissions, which include CC representatives. "So if the two MPs are challenging the results, they are calling their own party members thieves as well," he added.

"This is like someone filing a complaint with the CCC against Lena Borislavova based on public accusations made by Lyulin Mayor Georgi Todorov, who has openly accused her of meddling and corrupt practices," Portnih said.

He added that the CC are trying to shift focus from their own scandals by fabricating new ones intended to mislead the public.