Former Deputy Interior Minister Philip Gunev stated that the current actions against vote buying seem more like an imitation than real measures to tackle the problem. According to him, for such operations to have a real effect, it is necessary to arrest people with money and lists, including politicians who are the main vote buyers.
Gunev stressed that „it is always understood only after the elections where and how many votes were bought.“ He noted that the risky polling stations are known to the police, and several NGOs are already analyzing data on activities in these stations to uncover vote buying.
„The Interior Ministry should be proactive and not wait for reports,“, he said.
According to Gunev, vote buying starts a few weeks before the elections, and dealers sell to those who offer the most money. Effective measures against this type of organized crime require the detention of individuals at the middle and high levels, such as politicians who are the main players in vote buying.
Gunev urged for the imposition of effective penalties and emphasized that the police should focus on the organizers of vote buying schemes, rather than simply waiting for reports from citizens.
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