site.btaUPDATED Kiril Petkov Resigns as MP, Continue the Change Chair

Kiril Petkov told a press conference in BTA's national press club here on Wednesday that he is resigning as MP and as Co-Chair of Continue the Change (CC). Petkov stated that the reason for his decision is that "CC's cause is bigger than any one of us."

Petkov apologized to CC's electorate for having made a staffing error. He specified that he was responsible for the selection of CC representatives in Sofia, while Assen Vassilev, the other CC Co-Chair, was responsible for the rest of the country.

Petkov said that he is not resigning because of allegations of corruption aimed at him, but because there is corruption, possibly at the level of Sofia's district mayors. He reported that he will remain a member of the party but "will not be in the shadows of politics" and added: "[There Is Such a People leader] Slavi Trifonov’s approach of directing operations from a couch hidden behind the scenes is not something I'm interested in doing."

Petkov expressed full confidence in Vassilev, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Co-Floor Leader Nikolay Denkov, and the CC Executive Council.

Petkov said that he listened to a recording leaked to the media earlier Wednesday, which allegedly shows the collusion for public procurement in the Sofia municipality. “I do not know if this recording is real, but if it is real, it is a failure of the integrity of these people,” he said. He added that neither he nor anyone on the Executive Council knew about such conversations.

Petkov said that it is a serious failure on the part of the mayors of Mladost and Lyulin boroughs that they did not alert him or his colleagues from CC.

He addressed GERB leader Boyko Borissov and called on him to resign. Petkov urged MRF – New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski “not to continue turning the country into a banana republic.” 

To Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov, Petkov said, “Stop lying to people about the euro,” arguing that the euro is good for Bulgaria, as it will attract more investments, develop tourism, and make the country equal to other European states.

Regarding MP Lena Borislavova, Petkov said that he “can guarantee that she is not involved in any corruption schemes.”

Asked about the funding of CC, Petkov said that the party does not receive financing from non-governmental organizations and that each MP donates part of their salary every month. The party also receives a state subsidy, and during elections, they try to secure donations from companies that have no public procurement contracts, such as those primarily engaged in exports or IT firms. Petkov said that during his four years in politics, he has not accepted any money apart from his official salary. He also remarked that there is no corruption among his associates.

Earlier this week Lyulin and Mladost district mayors Georgi Todorov and Ivaylo Kukurin, as well as Dimitar Shalafov, a municipal councilor in the Sofia Municipal Council (SMC), have testified before investigative authorities regarding corruption practices in the two districts, according to posts on their social media profiles. At a press conference, the two district mayors, as well as Shalafov, who is a municipal councilor and co-chair of the CC-DB group in SMC, and Dragomir Ivanov, a municipal councilor from the same group, announced they are leaving CC, citing pressure from the party as the reason.

Counter-Corruption Commission representatives carried out searches at Sofia Municipality on Tuesday, and the deputy mayor was escorted from the building by police. They added that three people have been detained in the case, and the prosecution will later decide on further procedural actions. Desislava Petrova, spokesperson for the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, told the media that the case is ongoing and more information will be provided at a later stage.