17 candidates for BSP chairman have been admitted to participate in the direct election, scheduled for February 23. This is clear from a decision of the Central Commission for the conduct of the election, published on the party's website, quoted by BNT.
Among them are the acting chairman of the BSP and deputy prime minister in the new regular government Atanas Zafirov, the BSP secretary for organizational issues and the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov, the MEP and deputy chairman of the BSP Kristian Vigenin, the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Ivanov, the chairman of the parliamentary group of "BSP - United Left" Dragomir Stoynev, the chairman of the BSP - Sofia Ivan Takov and the chairman of the Youth Union of the BSP Gabriel Valkov.
Among the candidates are also the former chairman of the BSP Sergey Stanishev, Rumen Ovcharov, Kaloyan Pargov and Anton Kutev. Only one woman is running for the position - Dora Yankova, who was recently re-elected as chairwoman of the Union of Socialist Women.
Boris Tsvetkov, Boyan Balev, Genadi Sabkov, Rusi Statkov and Trifon Panchev have also been admitted to participate in the direct intra-party election of the chairman of the BSP.
According to the approved chronogram, the Central Election Commission was to check the nominees for compliance with the requirements of the BSP Statute by January 23, no later than 30 days before the election day, and to announce the final list of candidates for the chairman of the BSP.