Representatives of the initiative committees behind the presidential candidate pairs Iliyana Yotova – Kiril Valchev and Andrey Gyurov – Georgi Kandev entered into an argument about the upcoming vote, the political experience of the candidates and the work of the institutions.
„A surprise in the presidential elections is always possible, and the voters will have the last word on October 25“, said Radoslav Bimbalov from the committee supporting Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev. On the air of „Hello, Bulgaria“ he spoke with Krasimir Karakachanov, a member of the initiative committee for Iliyana Yotova and Kiril Valchev.
Dispute over the lead and political experience
Karakachanov said that the latest sociological surveys show a convincing lead for Yotova and Valchev. However, he stressed that this does not mean the end of the election race.
Bimbalov defined the elections as a choice between „dependence and a return to the retrograde past“ and the way forward. Karakachanov did not accept this formulation.
„This retrograde past seems a bit like a cliché to me. In my opinion, what Bulgarians should choose is the candidate who is more prepared to be the head of state,“ said Karakachanov.The two also argued about the political past of some of the people in the initiative committee behind Yotova. Bimbalov stated that about a million and a half of those eligible to vote do not remember the Videnova Winter, and raised a question about the participation of representatives who, in his opinion, are connected to the causes of the crisis of that period.
Karakachanov replied that Iliyana Yotova was a journalist at the time and had nothing to do with the Videnova Winter. According to him, the presidential vote is majority and the choice is between specific individuals, not between parties.
The case of Ognyan Atanasov
The conversation also discussed the pardon of Ognyan Atanasov, known as the “Petrich Escobar“. Karakachanov said that the decision was made after the opinions of seven doctors, according to whom there were health reasons.
After Atanasov's new detention for drugs, Karakachanov said that the case should be checked. Bimbalov placed it in the context of other criminal plots, including the case of the alleged murderer of Plovdiv businessman Iliyan Filipov and that of Yulian Yankov-Kartofa.
According to Bimbalov, Atanasov was sentenced to life imprisonment in Greece, but lived for nearly 20 years at large in Bulgaria. He questioned the circumstances surrounding the pardon and said that after the scandal broke out in the National Assembly, the decree was requested, but the document was not presented.
Differences in foreign policy
Karakachanov and Bimbalov outlined differences between the two presidential candidate pairs on foreign policy issues as well. Karakachanov pointed out that there are divergent positions in Europe on the duration of the war and the need to seek a peaceful solution.
Karakachanov identified Iliana Yotova's political and European experience as one of the advantages of her candidacy. According to him, Andrey Gyurov has been involved in politics for a relatively short time.
Sources: nova.bg