site.btaUPDATED Council of Ministers Dismisses Pleven Regional Governor Abrashev

Nikolay Abrashev was dismissed as Pleven Regional Governor, the Cabinet's press service said on Wednesday. Martin Machev, previously director of the Pleven branch of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, was appointed to the post, the Cabinet's press service added.

For months, Pleven and settlements in the region have been subject to water rationing. The water shortage in Pleven has persisted for more than a decade, Abrashev said in August. He noted that he had been critical of the institutions responsible for implementing the measures aimed at resolving the water crisis in Pleven.

Machev told BTA that addressing the water crisis will be among the first tasks on his agenda. He added: "We will initially strive to ease the restrictions and ensure that water is available for a longer period of time, but at this point I cannot commit to when this will happen."

Protests in Pleven continue, with demonstrators recently blocking the main Byala-Botevgrad road at the junction near the village of Yasen in protest against the ongoing water shortages.