At an extraordinary meeting this evening, the Municipal Election Commission (MEC) in Pazardzhik declared the election of Hristo Valkov as municipal councilor from "Vazrazhdane" invalid due to manipulation of preferential votes, BNR reported.
We are talking about 114 preferences written in his favor during the computer processing of the voting data on October 12.
The scandal involves a member of the MEC – Vasil Stefanov from "Vazrazhdane", who resigned this evening.
The case has been handed over to the prosecutor's office, which will determine whether there has been a crime of official misconduct.
The manipulated preferences were for Hristo Valkov from "Vazrazhdane", who is no longer a municipal councilor as of this evening. His place is being taken by Asya Fitkina-Spasova, also from "Vazrazhdane".
The Chairman of the MEC Stefan Dimitrov explained:
"The difference from the previous decision is that in the list of the political party "Vazrazhdane" candidate 105, who was declared elected with the previous decision, turned out to be unelected, as he has 93 preferences, not 207, as his original number was. And Mrs. Asya Fitkina-Spasova, who is number 114 on the same list, was declared elected. She has 106 preferences. That is, she was just declared elected".
On social networks this evening, Hristo Valkov stated that he did not know that someone had manipulated preferences in his favor.
For its part, the MEC prepared a statement to the CEC that Vasil Stefanov, a member of the municipal commission from the "Vazrazhdane" quota, is responsible for the scandalous case:
"He is responsible for the introduction of 18 sectional election protocols, in which 114 more preferential votes are written for the candidate under number 105".
According to the Chairman of the MEC Stefan Dimitrov, once the case has been cleared, there should be no reason to cancel the Municipal Council elections of October 12.