During the government of Nikolay Denkov, money was provided to prepare a project for major repairs of the road near the village of Telish, where 12-year-old Siyana died last week. This was stated in Veliko Tarnovo by former Finance Minister Assen Vassilev from "Continue the Change", quoted by novini.bg.
The PP leadership is not to blame for the war on the roads and for the condition of the road section where 12-year-old Siyana died, commented Assen Vassilev, responding to Interior Minister Daniel Mitov about the "political negligence in the last 4 years" for road safety. Only the girl's father can make accusations, Vassilev pointed out and explained what happened after the road safety project near Telish:
"The project was ready by May 2024. Why hasn't the process of selecting a contractor and awarding a contract for the major repairs itself started since then? The question is for the Glavchev cabinet," he explained.
"Safe roads are not a luxury, but a fundamental right of every Bulgarian. Today's statements by Interior Minister Daniel Mitov to the national radio show that those in power continue to look for the guilty, including during our administration, instead of solving the problems," said Assen Vassilev.
When asked if he feels guilty about the war on the roads, Assen Vassilev replied that Bulgaria needs quality roads: "A lot is invested in quality roads, but there must also be a need for control. This control was started by Andrey Tsekov during the Denkov cabinet. Tell me when else in history have we had over 80 km of scrapped roads that must be repaired by the builders at their own expense?".
"Every year, over 1 billion leva is poured into companies, often chosen by official cabinets, with no visible result. When we were in government, we introduced ground-penetrating radars, which revealed over 80 km of poor-quality construction. We returned these sections to the builders for repair – something that was not done before us", Vassilev emphasized. He added: "The real maintenance of the road network costs about 1 billion leva at normal prices, not 3 billion, as is speculated. Where does the money go and why is the control weak?", he asked.
Assen Vassilev insisted on three specific measures: “Quality guarantees, strict control over contractors and fair tenders. When will we travel on safe roads? When we stop making excuses and start working. I am a driver, so are you – we all know what it is like to drive on broken roads and pray that our children will not suffer because of someone else's incompetence."
"We are ready to support stability and reforms, but we will not tolerate inaction. I expect the ruling party to stop talking and start acting, and the opposition to stand behind principles, not interests. Because people's lives are not a political game," Assen Vassilev was categorical.
In about two months, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" is expected to request a vote of no confidence in the government after the convergence report on our admission to the eurozone. When asked if he expects support from the other opposition groups in parliament, after the PP did not support the first vote of no confidence, Assen Vassilev said: "That depends on them and is a question for them".
In Veliko Tarnovo, Assen Vassilev met with party activists and supporters of the PP this evening.