Kostadin Kostadinov demanded an official apology from the presidential candidate pair of “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria“ Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev for the claim that the Russian flag was burned during a rally in front of the Russian Cultural Center in Sofia.
According to Kostadinov, about ten PP-DB sympathizers participated in the event. He defined what happened as desecration of a foreign state symbol and insisted that Gyurov and Kandev distance themselves from the actions of their supporters.
“I expect an apology and a distinction – "to set an example of statesmanlike behavior," Kostadinov said.The leader of “Vazrazhdane“ said that such a manifestation is “absolutely unacceptable and condemnable“. According to him, the presidential candidate should unite, not deepen the division in society.
In his position, Kostadinov drew a parallel with a case in which representatives of “Vazrazhdane“ took down the Ukrainian flag from the Sofia Municipality building. He claims that the flag was collected and taken to the Ukrainian embassy, despite the party's disagreement with the policy of the Ukrainian authorities.
“The flag of the state is a symbol for millions of its citizens“, Kostadinov pointed out, adding that foreign state symbols should be respected as a sign of respect for the respective peoples.
At the moment, publicly confirmed information on the case is limited to Kostadinov's position and his statement about the actions in front of the Russian Cultural Center. He did not indicate any specific follow-up actions taken, other than demanding an apology and disassociation from Gyurov and Kandev.