At this hour, the presidential candidate couple Iliyana Yotova and Kiril Valchev are presenting the members of their initiative committee. 117 politicians, public figures, artists and athletes are standing behind them in the battle for the trust of voters on October 25. In support of Yotova's candidacy are the BSP, the ruling Progressive Bulgaria and the VMRO formations, bTV reported.
The initiative committee will be led by polar explorer Professor Hristo Pimpirev, bTV reported.
The presentation of the initiative committee, which is nominating the candidacy of Iliyana Yotova for president and Kiril Valchev for vice president, began in Hall 6 of the National Palace of Culture. Among those present is the prima donna of the Bulgarian pop scene Lili Ivanova. She took a seat in the front row to follow the beginning of the event and the presentation of the initiative committee.
The committee brings together 117 people, including representatives of various political formations and public circles. Among the parties and formations that support Yotova's candidacy are the Bulgarian Socialist Party, "Progressive Bulgaria", VMRO and "Alexander Stamboliyski", as well as other political and civil structures. The President of Bulgaria in the period 2002-2012, Georgi Parvanov, also participates in the initiative committee. Before the start of the event, he commented to journalists that he had known Iliyana Yotova for many years and had worked with her. Parvanov said that he supports her candidacy with confidence in her dialogic nature and her ability to seek ways to unite society.
Among the more interesting individuals in the initiative committee is the former Minister of Culture in two consecutive governments of Boyko Borisov - sculptor Vezhdi Rashidov. Rashidov also expressed his support for Iliyana Yotova. According to him, Bulgaria needs a strong majoritarian figure. Although he was part of governments headed by Boyko Borisov, Rashidov told journalists that he does not expect the GERB leader to be angry with him for supporting Yotova.
Among the members of the initiative committee is also the MEP from GERB Emil Radev. He is among the representatives of the political circles that support Yotova's candidacy and the former director general of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Kiril Valchev. The committee also includes a number of well-known representatives of culture and art. Among them is the actor Pavel Popandov.
Support for the candidacy also comes from representatives of local authorities. The initiative committee includes mayors of various municipalities, including the mayors of Gotse Delchev, Ruse and Pernik. Among the members are also representatives of sports circles.
The official presentation of the initiative committee and the reasons with which it stands behind the candidacy is forthcoming. The two will enter the battle for the presidential elections, scheduled for October 25. The event at the National Palace of Culture is expected to provide more clarity on both the composition of the initiative committee and the support that the candidacy receives from various political and public circles.