The BSP National Council is meeting in connection with the preparation of the upcoming 51st party congress, scheduled for February 15-16 at the National Palace of Culture. It is expected that documents related to the upcoming party congress and the election of a new chairman will be adopted during the meeting. 17 candidates have been admitted to the direct election procedure.
According to Kaloyan Pargov, who is one of the candidates for the position, the main topic today will be how the chairman will be elected - whether by congress or directly, which is also a matter of changes to the left's statute. According to him, this will be a leading topic of the congress and this will also be the debate of today's National Council. Pargov said that he feels like Donald Trump, who expected Joe Biden as a rival, but in the end got Kamala Harris. I have been preparing for this race for two years and was expecting Cornelia Ninova, and in the end I got others, but it doesn't matter. I am ready for the direct election, if they decide that it is a congress, it means changing the rules at the last minute, Pargov added. However, for the fairness and integrity of a race, the rules should not be changed at the last minute, the candidate added. According to him, it is a little more complicated with the congress. It is obvious that some documents for the congress are apocryphal, especially for candidates like me, which makes the battle unequal. I will raise this issue, I will demand that at least in the last week we are all on an equal footing, Pargov said.
When asked how many voters are entitled to direct election, Pargov said that they were around 84 thousand in 2020. Obviously, if we discuss this number, with the biological dropout of some comrades, with those who left due to disappointment, we could probably be around 70 thousand or less. I hope this will finally be heard, as this is important and has always been of concern to the party, Pargov said. When asked about the electoral lists, he replied that they are controlled by the organizational department. Enough with the apparatus grips, you have seen how far we have come, the times we live in require that there be discussion, debates and disputes, as it was 20 years ago in the BSP with 12-hour plenums, sharp disputes about one or another policy, about one or another action, and not just to gather apparatusally to do some work and leave alive and well, he commented.
Petar Vitanov said that this is his last participation in the National Council. I have difficulty finding a place in this council, my opinion is fundamentally different and I do not want to interfere with my presence, Vitanov added. He predicted that the majority of candidates for the post of chairman will withdraw. I am almost certain that there are two or three more serious ones, which are determined not by their names and biographies, but by the current situation, Vitanov commented. According to him, there are uncertainties regarding the manner of holding the election - whether the election of the chairman will be through a congress or direct. According to him, this issue is also expected to be resolved at the congress itself next week.
Donka Mihaylova commented that she expects the National Council to make decisions today that will restart public trust in the party, something that the left needs. I expect us to adopt a document that will give more energy and the right direction to the party, she added.