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Bulgaria PM urges end to political bickering to avoid unrest

Agence France-PresseApril 30, 2013 09:15
Bulgaria's caretaker prime minister urged political parties Tuesday to stop bickering over a wiretapping scandal ahead of snap elections next month, which he hinted could renew popular unrest. "Bulgaria's democracy is sick. The political parties tend to generate scandals rather than projects for solving the crisis," Marin Raykov told a joint press conference with chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov. After massive anti-poverty and corruption protests in February and March ousted conservative premier Boyko Borisov, "the people from the streets went home.

Bulgaria president warns of instability after vote

Agence France-PresseApril 28, 2013 09:30
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev warned Sunday that his country could enter a long period of instability if politicians failed to form a government after snap elections on May 12. "The most important thing is what will happen after the elections -- whether we enter a period of prolonged instability or whether we form a stable, legitimate government" which gets down to work, Plevneliev told state BNR radio in an interview Sunday.

Wiretap scandal hits Bulgaria's ex-PM ahead of vote

Agence France-PresseApril 26, 2013 14:01
A scandal about alleged wiretapping of political opponents of incumbent Bulgarian premier Boyko Borisov is starting to hurt his re-election chances in May, analysts and opinion polls suggested Friday. Adding to his troubles, Sofia's chief prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov also resigned Friday after leaked wiretaps showed he discussed a bribery probe against ex-farming minister Miroslav Naydenov with Borisov and Naydenov himself.

Wiretap scandal hits Bulgaria's ex-PM ahead of vote

Agence France-PresseApril 26, 2013 09:45
A huge scandal about the alleged wiretapping of outgoing Bulgarian premier Boyko Borisov's political opponents is starting to hurt his re-election chances in May, analysts and opinion polls suggested Friday. According to pollsters Mediana, Borisov's right-wing GERB party, although still in first place, has slipped from a score of 26.4 percent in early April to 23.3 percent last weekend.

Indictments in Bulgaria over wiretap scandal

Agence France-PresseApril 23, 2013 09:15
Four Bulgarian interior ministry officials were indicted on Tuesday over the alleged wiretapping of outgoing premier Boyko Borisov's political opponents, Sofia prosecutors said. The head of the ministry's surveillance unit Sergey Katsarov and his two predecessors Tsvetan Ivanov and Kamen Kostov were charged with disregarding their duties and facilitating unregulated wiretapping dating back to 2009. Another official was being probed for trying to cover up the case by allegedly destroying the illegal recordings.

Bulgaria's ousted centre-right GERB extends lead before May vote

April 18, 2013 10:15
SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party, which resigned from power after protests in February, is extending its lead over rival parties before an election due in May, a poll showed on Thursday. Support for Boiko Borisov's GERB grew to 22.5 percent in April, from 21.9 percent in March, while backing for the Socialists dropped to 16.9 percent from 17.4 in the previous month, according to an Alpha Research poll.

Probe finds top Bulgarian politicians wiretapped

April 15, 2013 11:45
Bulgaria's interior ministry has ordered irregular wiretaps on top politicians for years, prosecutors said Monday after a probe which appeared to confirm opposition concerns just ahead of snap elections next month. Deputy chief prosecutor Borislav Sarafov told journalists the probe had turned up "practices at the interior ministry that facilitate the unregulated wiretapping" of top politicians and business people. "We have observed violations regarding the daily use of (wiretapping) equipment," he added.

Bulgarian leftists see broad coalition as better alternative

April 13, 2013 13:30
By Angel Krasimirov SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's Socialists said on Saturday they would form a broad coalition if they win a parliamentary election on May 12 and cut taxes for the lowest earners to try to raise living standards. Thousands of supporters of the Bulgarian Socialists Party (BSP) waved red flags and balloons, and chanted "Victory", filling a park in Sofia at the start of the election campaign.

Bulgaria's ousted PM leads pre-election poll

April 12, 2013 07:01
The right-wing party of Bulgaria's former premier, who resigned in February after mass protests, topped a new opinion poll released Friday at the official start of campaigning for May 12 elections. The 26.4 percent of eligible voters attributed to Boyko Borisov's GERB party by the Mediana institute survey of 1,000 people would however be too small for the former bodyguard to be able to win a majority.

Interim Bulgaria PM promises to help pensioners and poor

March 13, 2013 12:05
By Tsvetelia Tsolova SOFIA (Reuters) - New Bulgarian interim Prime Minister Marin Raikov pledged on Tuesday to retain fiscal discipline with a cabinet of professionals that aims to maintain market confidence and placate protesters ahead of an election on May 12. President Rosen Plevneliev's choice of Raikov and other independents as ministers is designed to prove to protesters there has been a clean break with a political class they view as corrupt and unable to improve living standards in the European Union's poorest member.
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