The voter turnout in Kostandovo in the presidential elections was below 9 percent. The residents of the town define their refusal to vote as a completely conscious position, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.
Due to the low turnout, the municipality of Rakitovo, where Kostandovo is located, has become the record holder for low voter turnout in the Pazardzhik region. It is followed by the municipality of Sarnitsa with 10 percent voter turnout.
Pressure on voters denied
The report raises the question of whether the boycott was the result of pressure from the MRF, or a reaction to recent political events, including the arrests of mayors from the party and social insecurity.
The mayor of Kostandovo, Valentin Vignev, who has supported the common position of the MRF mayors against police actions in the arrests of their colleagues, denies such interference. “There is no pressure on people and there can be no“, Vignev states.
Change in political preferences
Kostandovo has long been among the places with strong influence of Ahmed Dogan's MRF. In recent years, however, with the change of generations, other political preferences have emerged in the city.
In the last parliamentary elections, “Progressive Bulgaria“ received a high result in Kostandovo. At the time, the result was defined as a breakthrough and a request to weaken the influence of the MRF. The low turnout in the presidential vote shows a different picture.
According to the report, the refusal to vote also expressed dissatisfaction with unfulfilled election promises. On Tuesday, it was supposed to be discussed how the MRF would act in the second round of the presidential elections.
Sources: bnrnews.bg