„In Kyustendil we have a very interesting case for buying votes. There, a former interior minister held a meeting these days with a former district governor and another who was hospitalized. They discussed how to attract 15,000 Macedonians with Bulgarian citizenship to vote here in our country.“
This was revealed by caretaker Minister of Interior Boyko Rashkov during a briefing, during which information was presented about the launch of a specialized police operation to counter vote buying. According to him, there is evidence that such a form of electoral tourism is being prepared in many settlements.
„It is planned to concentrate a large number of Bulgarian citizens at one address in the days before the elections.“
There is information about a similar scheme in Blagoevgrad, added the caretaker minister.
„We held a meeting and talked to the regional governor of Blagoevgrad, where in a village in the district suddenly appear at the same address thousands of citizens who register there. As this is expected to multiply in other regions as well, we are in constant contact and connection with the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and Minister Violeta Komitova. We will take all possible administrative measures to stop this domestic election tourism.“, he said, noting that so far approximately 100 signals have been submitted to the Ministry of Interior (MoI) for the organization of a purchased vote.
„I had an occasion and informed publicly that the Ministry of Interior, in connection with the upcoming elections, is closely monitoring the processes that are developing in our country around and related to the preparation of the elections. Large groups, including representatives of political parties, will try to win a vote not in the order provided by the Act through the well-known and declared criminal buying and selling of votes. By 10:00 our information is that the signals in this direction are approaching 100.„, said Rashkov and added:
„I want to start with the planned action, which starts early this morning across the country. The goal is related to what I said. We must take retaliatory action against those who are preparing to distort the political picture in our country, to achieve unrealistic results on election day, not to properly and accurately account for the vote of every Bulgarian voter. They act in such a way as to encroach on the free exercise of the political right of every Bulgarian citizen to vote and to be elected.“
Minister Rashkov is adamant that more work should be done to counter vote buying. According to him, as many police forces as possible have been set aside so that the current operation can take place.
„All persons who are accused of preparing and carrying out such activities will be subjected to legal procedures, pre-trial proceedings will be instituted. Such have already been formed, an investigation is underway. Some are from the April 4 elections. I will say that one of these cases in a famous village in the Pleven region. There, if they announced that 300 voters would vote, in the end it turned out that there were 1,000. There, the percentage goes to the socialist years ago. Guess from the first time for which party. Cancelled and distorted vote. Attempts are currently being made in a central European country, where they will try to set up such fictitious sections and there to vote Bulgarian citizens who are not on the territory of this country. We are in contact with the relevant services and we will stop these attempts.„, Rashkov said.
