MRF faction leader Peevski criticizes decision of Central Electoral Commission

The leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) faction, Delyan Peevski, called the decision of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) “criminal”. The commission demands that the two coalitions of the warring factions within the party provide documents proving that the MRF is not part of it. On Thursday, he refused to accept this decision during a conversation with journalists in the corridors of parliament.

On the first day of registration of parties and coalitions for the early parliamentary elections on October 27, the CEC accepted documents from both factions – Democracy, Rights and Freedoms (DRF) (the Bulgarian abbreviation is the same as that of MRF), the party behind honorary chairman Ahmed Dogan, and MRF – New Beginning, the party behind Peevski.

“We are adhering to the law and waiting for the decision,” Peevski said. He further claimed that CEC is compromised, claiming that it serves the interests of derebeys (Turkish feudal lords) and foreign powers.

Peevski described the CEC decision as “absolutely illegal.” Peevski described CEC chairwoman Kameliya Neykova as a “vice-chairwoman of one of the parties in coalition with the derebeys.” According to legal and business information platform Apis, Neykova was appointed vice-chairwoman of the then newly formed New Alternative party in 2012. In 2022, New Alternative was renamed Just Bulgaria United Patriots (SBOR), which Neykova does not belong to. SBOR is now part of Dogan’s DRF coalition.

“Her interests are clear,” he argued. Peevski assured that there will be a MRF – New Beginning, “no matter how difficult it is for all the oligarchs, mafia thieves in Bulgaria, and Moscow and Putin.”

“The CEC president is personally involved through a very close collaborator, and she has an interesting close relationship with France,” Peevski said of Neykova. “They have warm French relations,” he added.

Regarding Yes, Bulgaria’s intention to ask Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov to lift his immunity over a report filed by Bulgarian fugitive banker Tsvetan Vassilev, Peevski said it came “from their own Prosecutor General”. He also added: “Tsvetan Vassilev is an agent of Moscow and Russia, who is hiding in Serbia under Moscow’s protection”. Peevski believes that Russia is doing everything it can to take over Bulgaria. “I see my colleagues passively witnessing the creation of a presidential republic, which will ultimately lead to serious consequences for Bulgaria. However, I will prevent this”, he said.

He said he would provide evidence that he has no outstanding debts to any financial institution. “I don’t owe a cent to any bank; these allegations are lies,” Peevski said.