Bulgaria’s caretaker government replaces all district governors

The Council of Ministers decided at a meeting on May 19 to release all district governors. New ones are being appointed with the same decision, the spokesman of the caretaker cabinet Anton Kutev said at a briefing.

The motives for the replacements are to guarantee and look for opportunities for fair voting and to reduce vote-buying and corporate vote. The appointment of the new district governors will take effect tomorrow at 9.00.

In a few days there will be a meeting with all new district governors in the Council of Ministers with the caretaker Prime Minister, Kutev added.

The spokesman for the cabinet also said that the heads of the security services had been invited for a meeting last week, to which they did not respond. The caretaker prime minister has been working with the deputy heads of the security services for a week now.

The whole drama with the chiefs of the security services could be played more skillfully, he added.

Kutev said he had no information if their dismissal was discussed.

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The heads of Bulgaria’s security services have gone on unpaid leave until September, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Boyko Rashkov said on Monday, May 17.

Later the government confirmed that the heads of the State Agency for National Security and State Intelligence Agency had been on leave since 7 May and would remain so until 6 September.