BSP decides to drop the direct election of the party chairman, NOVA reported.
This happened during the Congress of the Left. This means that after the closed part of the Congress session ends, they will move on to a secret ballot for a new party leader and a new composition of the National Council. Who the new party leader will be will become clear on Sunday. It is not excluded that a runoff will also occur. Initially, 17 people entered the battle, and now there are 9 candidates, because most of them withdrew.
After 8 years without a change of chairman, the BSP is again electing a leader. Initially, 17 people entered the battle for the first place in the party. Among them, two members of the "Zhelyazkov" cabinet remained until the end - Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov and Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov. "After this congress, the BSP will emerge much stronger on the path it is on," Zafirov said.
Among the candidates who withdrew were the regional minister Ivan Ivanov, the chairman of the PG - Dragomir Stoynev, the former chairman of the BSP and PES - Sergey Stanishev. The MEP Christian Vigenin remained in the fight.
"I cannot deceive the people. To campaign for a whole month and then say: sorry, but I am withdrawing," Vigenin pointed out.
A key moment for the party is the change in the Statute - and whether this remains the direct election of the chairman or not. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Natalia Kiselova, will also participate as a guest at the Congress.
“The BSP and the left should move in the direction of returning statehood. In this good sense, let's have discussions, not arguments. There will be tension like in any party, but I expect it to come out more united”, said Kiselova.