Nikolai Rashkov is resigning from the post of mayor of Gorna Oryahovitsa, the press center of the municipal administration announced.
The announcement added that the mayor of the municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa Nikolay Rashkov has submitted his resignation to the chairman of the Municipal Election Commission (MEC) in Gorna Oryahovitsa Ivan Iliev.
Within the legally specified period, the MEC must hold a meeting, after which it must decide on the mayor's dismissal from office. The act must be received by the Central Election Commission.
The Municipal Council must elect a deputy mayor to complete Nikolay Rashkov's term.
According to Bulgarian law, partial mayoral elections are scheduled only when more than one year remains until the end of the term. The last local vote in 2023 was held on October 29.
Nikolay Rashkov's decision comes after a lengthy judicial and institutional case for a conflict of interest established by the subsequently closed Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). After the OIC once refused to remove him from office, the case is still in the legal phase, the administration added.
“I refuse to fight these legal battles anymore, I have decided to resign with honor and dignity“, said Nikolay Rashkov.
According to the decision of the CPC, the mayor has been sanctioned with a fine and a ban on holding public office for one year.
Rashkov chose to resign after the expiration of the period in which by-elections could be scheduled. This saves the Municipality and the Gorno-Oryahov taxpayers over 400 thousand euros, which is what an early vote would have cost, the administration said.
The case that led to the mayor's resignation is related to the sale of municipal properties in 2023, during the administration of the previous mayor Dobromir Dobrev.
The decision on the sale was made by the Municipal Council, the auction was held by a commission appointed by order of Dobromir Dobrev. He also issued the order issued on August 9, 2023 to determine the winner of the auction - Nikolay Rashkov, in his capacity as manager of the company “Mirvana“, who offered the highest price among all participants. With the same order, the company is obliged to conclude a contract with the Municipality and make the payments due for the purchase and sale. This happened later, when Nikolay Rashkov was already elected mayor, and the management of the purchasing company was entrusted to his mother. Although the municipality benefited from this deal with financial proceeds well above the market price, the former CPC accepted the signatures of related parties as a formal violation.
Nikolay Rashkov is categorical that the direction of development of Gorna Oryahovitsa and the settlements set during his mandate will continue to be implemented by his team.