Large-Scale Operations against Vote-Buying Two Days before the Early Parliamentary Elections

Operations by the Ministry of the Interior against vote-buying continue. Two days before the early parliamentary elections, €200,000 intended for buying votes was discovered in the coastal city of Varna, while in Veliko Tarnovo (Northen Bulgaria) a parliamentary candidate was caught in his car with cash and lists of names.

Four people were detained during the operation against vote-buying in Varna. Authorities say it concerns an organised criminal group and a large-scale network involved in buying votes for Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections. The group includes a man who is a municipal councillor from the town of Provadia.

This was announced by Interior Ministry's Chief Secretary Georgi Kandev in a social media post. Work on the case began earlier this month. Over the course of yesterday, 152 people were questioned who are believed to have received money from the group to vote for a specific political party. In addition, 137 reports were drawn up on individuals suspected of involvement in electoral offences.

A separate operation against vote-buying also took place in Veliko Tarnovo. Four people were detained for 24 hours, one of whom is a municipal councillor. Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated.

A car driven by a person with immunity, as a parliamentary candidate, was stopped during a routine check. A search and seizure operation uncovered cash and lists containing personal details of Bulgarian citizens.

A total of 2,066 reports of electoral crimes and violations have been received, according to Emil Dechev. The number of pre-trial and fast-track proceedings for offences against citizens’ political rights related to elections currently stands at 18, compared with six in 2024.

The aim of the nationwide operations against vote-buying is to ensure the conduct of fair elections.