The presidential elections are approaching, and the democratic community seems closer to its biggest risk - to lose even before the battle has begun.
The Forum for Democratic Action issued an urgent appeal - there is no more time for hesitation, it is time for a unified candidacy. Otherwise - a scattered vote, divided voters and a given victory for political opponents.
Call for a unified candidacy
"At the end of last year, we reached an agreement with the three parliamentary parties to have a single candidacy. That there should be no party candidates, but that they should stand behind a single candidacy, and that we as public figures should be mediators in this process. The agreement included the idea of holding early elections. Unfortunately, the situation has changed a lot because of the early elections," commented writer and public figure Radoslav Bimbalov on the show "The Day ON AIR".
He also commented on possible support for the candidacy of Andrey Gyurov, who will be nominated by an initiative committee. According to Bimbalov, this will happen in early September.
"The older ones remember Petar Stoyanov well. He was one of the good presidents after the transition, but I think we need to look forward. We need to elect people who are not so far removed from our recent past. I think that Andrey Gyurov will speak more adequately to young voters," Bimbalov told Bulgaria ON AIR.
The democratic community must be redefined
The writer expressed the opinion that the democratic community must be redefined.
"I do not think that we should talk about a democratic community, but about people who want to have a democracy that offers a separation of powers. If we elect Yotova - there will be no separation of powers," the public figure also said.
Bimbalov emphasized that Rumen Radev in recent years has been an example of a divider of the nation as president.
"Yotova and Gyurov will be nominated not through a party, but through initiative committees. These candidates represent not so much parties as the main idea behind them - between dependence and independence, at a time when power is absolutely one-sided. If we also have a subservient president, this starts to smell a bit like authoritarianism, if we remember what was in Bulgaria 37 years ago.
Low voter turnout
"People are not serf voters. Currently, the controlled vote is quite fragmented. A large part of it went to Radev in the last elections," the guest added.
He does not believe that GERB has the strength to reach a runoff.
"This seems impossible to me. Whatever success Yotova achieves, there will be a runoff," Bimbalov predicts.
The writer expects that people who are disappointed with Radev will not vote in the presidential elections.
According to him, the turnout will be much lower than in the parliamentary elections.