‘YES, BULGARIA’ PARTY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTIONS IN COALITION

The party of former Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov "Yes, Bulgaria" will participate in the early elections in coalition with the party Zelenite. Yes, Bulgaria's registration as individual party was blocked on 6th of February following the submission of three appeals at Sofia City Court.

The deadline for registration of parties for participation in the forthcoming parliamentary elections is 8th of February.

Yes, Bulgaria say they were not surprised by the attempts to frustrate their participation in the elections. "The forces against which we are fighting recognize us as real threat, and therefore my message is that it makes sense to vote for Yes, Bulgaria because, obviously, with its appearing on stage, it caused a very strong reaction from the mafia," the leader Hrsto Ivanov said. "If an experienced politician in Bulgaria means a person who negotiates with the mafia, and knows how not to be in its way and not to provoke its reaction against himself, I'm an inexperienced politician and I do not intend to become experienced in that sense," Ivanov added.

The party claims the appeals are false. One of the appeals was submitted in the name of one of the founders of the party Vera Assenova and was withdrawn on 7th of February. She says that her identity was fraudulently used to submit the appeal.

Vera Assenova said she withdrew the appeal in which her signature was false. The case was reported to the regional prosecutor's office.

The appeals against the registration of Yes, Bulgaria party have not reached the Supreme Cassation Court, the chair of the Supreme Cassation Court, lozan Panov told BNT. Sofia City Court is required to wait for the end of the 7-day period envisaged for payment of the court fee. Panov commented that the court treats all political parties equally and in conformity with the law.

He explained that because the court fees for the appeals were not paid yet, Sofia City Court had to deal with them accordingly, to give guidelines, which should be fulfilled and then to refer the case to the Supreme Cassation Court.