So far, 30 people have been detained under the Ministry of Interior Act in connection with election violations, the reports received as of this morning are 151, and the pre-trial proceedings initiated are 53. This became clear during a briefing by the Coordination Council for the preparation of the early parliamentary elections to the caretaker government. The data was announced by Deputy Interior Minister Ivan Anchev, quoted by dariknews.bg.
The headquarters, which includes representatives of the ministries of interior, e-government, foreign affairs and regional development, reported increasing trust in the Ministry of Interior and its attitude towards the fairness of the vote.
The signals received as of 8:30 a.m. on March 23 in the structures of the Ministry of Interior are 151, they are for violations of electoral legislation and political rights of citizens. 35 are signals in the SDVR, 19 are in Varna, 17 in Veliko Tarnovo. Of all the signals received, 126 are related to vote buying in favor of political parties or coalitions, 5 are for illegal agitation, 3 for corporate voting, 1 for destruction of property and 16 are for other violations related to the electoral process. The number of pre-trial proceedings initiated is 53, announced Deputy Interior Minister Ivan Anchev.
272 warning protocols have been issued under Art. 65 of the Interior Ministry Act. For comparison, in 2024 there were 28. The Deputy Minister added that the Interior Ministry continues to actively work to guarantee fair and transparent elections.
According to Vanya Nusheva, an election expert and advisor to the Prime Minister, at the end of last week the Interior Ministry reported that 45 pre-trial proceedings for violation of the election process had been initiated so far. For the same period of the previous parliamentary elections, there were only 4, she said for comparison.
"There are 105 signals in the Interior Ministry about irregularities related to the upcoming parliamentary elections. The situation is dynamic, we are constantly receiving information. There were 43 pre-trial proceedings at the end of last week. That is, sufficient information was found in the reports submitted to activate the prosecutor's office and the investigative bodies. The high number of reports is a signal of increased trust and expectation that this time the Ministry of Interior will not formally approach the reports from citizens, journalists, NGOs and observers, commented the Coordination Council, "said Nusheva.
She noted that the Coordination Council for the Preparation of the Elections has been practically working since the beginning of the term of the caretaker government. “We have taken measures for coordination between institutions in connection with the preparation of the elections. The Ministry of Interior has an exceptional commitment to take action against violations of the political rights of Bulgarian citizens. An operational headquarters is operating, which includes representatives of all directorates. There is also a line for reports of crimes against the political rights of citizens. There is a serious increase in reports and pre-trial proceedings in connection with the upcoming elections“, Nusheva pointed out.
Voting abroad
44,000 people have applied to vote abroad. In comparison to the previous elections, there were 35,000.
Seven polling stations will be opened in London, whereas so far there have been between one, two and three. The aim is for more people to have the opportunity to vote, given the restrictions in the Electoral Code. The deadline for submitting applications expires tomorrow - March 24. This means that the number will most likely be even higher. A process of coordination and determination of the sections in which voting will take place follows, which will be done by the end of March, Nusheva informed about the process.
Boryana Stoynova from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the final proposal for the number of sections abroad will be sent to the CEC after the deadline for accepting applications expires and after we receive the motivated proposals of the heads of consular and diplomatic missions.
According to Stoyneva, the proposal regarding the sections in countries outside the European Union will be carefully refined. “Some of our buildings do not allow more than one section - such as the consular office in Bursa and the consulate general in Edirne“, she indicated. The consulate general in Istanbul will probably have two sections, and the embassy in Ankara - three.
A process is underway to assess where and how many sections can be opened additionally, added Vanya Nusheva. The deadline for submitting applications to vote abroad expires tomorrow, March 24.