Secretary General Georgi Kandev Leaves the Ministry of Interior: 'Having to choose between my position and my principles is impossible'

The Chief Secretary of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Interior, Georgi Kandev, has announced his departure from the institution.

In a statement published on Facebook on June 8, Kandev said he could not choose between his position and his principles.

"Today I am leaving the Ministry of Interior. Having to choose between my post and my principles is impossible. Promising action when I am required to remain silent is impossible as well. I understood the message."

Kandev said he had worn the uniform for 30 years with the conviction that the rule of law is the backbone of the state and that a police officer's duty is not to be convenient, but to be useful.

“That is why I cannot be the person who simply looks stern in front of cameras. My task has always been to seek the truth, take responsibility and make decisions when it is difficult."

He added that in the months leading up to the elections, he and his colleagues had demonstrated their ability to fulfil that mission when given freedom and support.

"All police officers proved that. I do not want to bear responsibility for decisions I do not make, nor to prop up a façade with my name. There is no decree that can command the trust of the people."

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Georgi Kandev was appointed acting Chief Secretary during the caretaker government led by Andrey Gyurov and remained in the post after April 19 parliamentary elections.

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