BULGARIA’S PRESIDENT PLEVNELIEV SAYS HE WILL NOT STAND FOR A SECOND TERM IN OFFICE IN THE 2016 ELECTIONS

In an extraordinary announcement broadcast live on BNT on 20th of May, Bulgaria’s President Rossen Plevneliev said he would not stand for a second term in office at the upcoming presidential elections in the autumn.

He said the reasons were personal and added he was not leaving politics, but had no intentions to establish or participate in political parties.

He said his advice to the politicians in the next months was to leave behind the petty calculations for the presidential elections in the autumn and to support the judicial reform, to give green light to a strong anti-corruption legislation and not to divert from the European development of the country.

President Plevneliev started his statement by saying that from the very first day in office he had upheld his principles, acted independently and with a sense of moral duty.

He noted he took pride in what had been done and would continue to work responsibly and with dedication until the last day of his term in office.

The President said he had informed Prime Minister Boyko Borisov about his decision and added that the two worked well and accomplished a lot together.

photo by BTA