Voting machines are an extremely important issue. This was commented by Minister of Interior Boyko Rashkov in front of journalists in Plovdiv, after holding a meeting with the staff of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior. He set himself the task of answering the question why the machines are found in the various regional directorates. The Minister of the Interior said he doubted the real motives for them to stay there, so he would check to see if they had been influenced or manipulated.
„I will tell you why this issue is important. There are not many, about 89 machines, which are left from the previous vote, from April 4 in regional directorates of the Ministry of Interior. I have repeatedly had occasion to say that it is unclear to me what is the reason for them to remain in the regional directorates. The others, who were in places, in constituencies, were taken to Sofia and guarded at the respective place by the National police service. We are currently clarifying this issue with the CEC as well. Maybe these days there will be a solution. In Kyustendil, it has reached the Prosecutor’s office because there are doubts about what these machines are doing in the regional directorates. I asked myself this question from the first moment I realized in my capacity as Minister of Interior that there were such machines left there, and I immediately doubted the real motives. Of course, it is in connection with the possibilities it has for the impact on these machines and their manipulation. The claim that they are not certified reinforced my doubts. In the coming days, I will take measures to return them to Sofia, to check them and to include them in the election process after we have an expert opinion on their suitability and they will not be used for manipulation.“
During the briefing it became clear that he had assigned the managerial functions of the Regional Department of Ministry of Interior -Plovdiv to Petar Todorov.
„Today we made a decision and assigned the management functions to Mr. Todorov. He will be Deputy director and I have assigned him managerial functions. Long-term employee with 30 years of experience. We rely on him. I have already said that under his leadership, the directorate must take measures so that we can hold and participate in fair elections. This is our task. At the same time, feeling somewhat guilty, the deputy director who met me yesterday has already been reassigned to another unit of the Ministry of Interior in the Plovdiv region.“, explained Rashkov, quoted by ‘Focus“.
„There is no progress with Mr. Rogachev because he is in a hospital in Plovdiv. Yesterday we made contact, he is in a hospital bed. That is why we cannot take action for his dismissal and punishment.“, he added.
An operation against corrupt police officers took place in Plovdiv, arresting 12 people, including the head of the 3rd police station.
„There should be castlings. The chief of the 3rd district cannot be kept in custody and there will be no retaliatory personnel actions. We will not tolerate such manifestation.“, the acting Minister of Interior emphasized.
Regarding Atanasov’s allegations about wiretapped politicians and Rashkov’s call for an investigation, the interior minister called on the responsible institutions to file a complaint.
„This issue is not elementary at all. There is a service that the state has set up and when it needs to act immediately and carry out the necessary checks. As far as I have the authority, I can check a service that is in the ministry and for which there is such information. Contact the National Bureau of Special Intelligence. These members of this bureau must be so good to take responsibility for today’s publication and not to consider that the Minister of Interior will start doing their job.
