The dispute was not whether the Congress should be held or not. The dispute was about its timing. This was stated to bTV by the chairman of the BSP and the outgoing deputy prime minister, Atanas Zafirov, quoted by novini.bg.
"I support the thesis that this Congress could have been more useful and necessary after the elections. Then, anyway, a Congress will have to be convened again to set the direction of the party. A Congress is an expensive pleasure, a difficult organization. When all parties are preparing for elections, we convene a Congress. The only point of it is to change the chairman“, he has an opinion.
„In recent days, an attempt has been made to build an image of me as a person who has clung to him and does not want to let him go. There are more than 10 candidates for chairman of the party. There is a danger that the party will emerge more divided from this Congress. I expect to hear the Congress's reasons for terminating my powers. I asked for at least a debate on the topic, excluding that it specifically concerns me. If we had continued to govern the cabinet, the topic of changing the chairman of the BSP would certainly not have been raised. The participation of BSP representatives in the cabinet "Zhelyazkov" was also assessed as positive, Zafirov noted.
According to him, the processes surrounding the decision to vote to replace the party chairman started from the Sofia City Organization: “I have not heard any meaningful motives for this decision.“
“I hear from the candidates for chairman “never with this one“, “never with that one“. In just a short time, we have local elections. Traps are being laid for the functioning of the party, because in some places it is difficult to elect a mayor without the participation of other formations. The sectarian period of the party, in which we had isolated ourselves from everyone, had to be put to an end. Trust is measured in elections. I continue not to share the dark rumors that the BSP has collapsed and will not enter parliament after the elections. The last sociological survey gave 5.5% for the BSP immediately after the protests“, the party leader noted.
He was categorical that they have nothing to be ashamed of regarding their participation in the governance of the country in the “Zhelyazkov“ cabinet.
He will not run again for the post of chairman if he is removed at the upcoming Congress: “This will mean that I have lost the trust of the highest body. It does not matter who will be the chairman in two days, if we do not set the direction and do not make a change in the people.“
He also commented on why he did not go to the consultations with President Yotova: “The invitation was to the parliamentary group. I was in communication with the PG leadership. Institutions in such difficult times must be respected. It was definitely not a demonstration, and a meeting of the Council of Ministers was also underway.“
Regarding the withdrawal of APS support to the cabinet and its replacement with that of MRF – Novo Nachola, the Deputy Prime Minister said: “I cannot regret something that is not part of our responsibilities. We have not replaced APS, they left on their own. There was a period in which their expectations became more than the real possibilities.“
It is categorical that there were no candidacies supported by the BSP who were on “Novo Nachola“.
According to him, after the elections in Pazardzhik, there was apparently some tension in GERB. He told about a difficult 30-minute conversation with Boyko Borisov, after which the Swiss rule for pensions was saved: “I clearly realize that whether a government will be a government or not depends on the tensions in society, on parliamentary support and on crises, including in the parties themselves.“
He added that the tension in the left space is created by itself.
On whether Iliyana Yotova will be a presidential candidate nominated by the BSP, Zafirov specified: “There has been no conversation in the party and it is not the time for that now. Yotova is in a difficult, inherited situation. At least she needs it right now. It is possible that he will be our candidate when the time comes, but now the task is the early elections.“
“BSP cannot be a brooch or an appendage, BSP must stand firmly on its own two feet and calls to join someone harm the party“, he also said.