MECH party leader Radostin Vassilev defended his decision to leave the consultations with President Iliana Yotova, telling bTV that he did not want to be “hypocritical“ and participate in conversations in which he does not see moral clarity.
According to him, the reasons are related to his biography and long-standing dependencies, which, according to him, reproduce an “oligarchic-mutren model“ in Bulgarian politics. Vassilev emphasized that even before the elections he had openly expressed his position and did not accept to demonstrate support for a person he did not trust.
„The Constitution, made by the Grand National Assembly, by the legislator in twice the size, 470 people, has provided that the vice president takes office after certain circumstances. However, when the resignation is because the president has decided to form a party, it seems moral to me that the vice president should resign with him and we should go to elections - presidential or otherwise. And not for the vice president to become president and work for a year on his personal campaign. I do not consider this to be moral. And since I have been observing Mrs. Yotova since 1997, when she became the spokesperson for the BSP. I do not consider her to be a person who would fight against the mafia surrounded by this mafia. That's why I preferred to tell her frankly before the elections, having previously consulted with the entire party, with the leadership, and not to be hypocritical“, said Radostin Vassilev.
Radostin Vassilev made a clear distinction between his attitude towards Rumen Radev and towards Iliyana Yotova. According to him, the respect for the president is due to the fact that he was elected with broad public support and is not a party cadre, although he was promoted by the BSP.
„President Radev was elected. That's why he received such great support. He was not a member of the BSP. But promoted by the BSP. He is a military man, that's why he received this enormous support. We cannot put them on the same level. Besides, I have not seen him in 1991 with Mitko Gestapo and with Lyuben Gotsev, the godfather of the mafia. Nothing, I have seen him in photos with Gergov and Ushev, who are no different. I respect Radev because he was elected president. And because I firmly believe that in the presidential pair the votes were for him“, he also said.
Vassilev also stated that for him the BSP is a symbol of a model in which the lack of lustration has allowed certain economic and political dependencies to reproduce themselves for decades.
On the topic of an acting prime minister, Vassilev commented that Andrey Gyurov is the “lesser evil“ of those who accepted the opportunity, as according to him he has the moral qualities to organize fair elections. Vassilev expressed doubt that Yotova would appoint him, and predicted that a person close to Delyan Peevski could be elected.
The MECH leader sharply criticized the work of the Ministry of Interior, the Prosecutor's Office and other institutions, describing the state as “absent”. According to him, the case near Petrohan raises many questions about the actions of the police and the way in which information is communicated.