The removal of Delyan Peevski… For one camp in the party this is a logical and consistent move, for the other camp – we are going to a court that will rule. Will we see Ahmed Dogan again in active politics… Eshref Eshref, MP from the DPS group (without Peevski), spoke to FAKTI.
- Mr. Eshref, at a meeting with Ahmed Dogan, it became clear that Delyan Peevski and a dozen other people have been released from the DPS, and the party has a new seal. How did this exclusion happen and is this decision legitimate?
- Yes, the decision is completely legitimate and corresponds to the DPS statute. I can name specific articles from the party constitution, but one is quite enough – article 9a, which in this case is tied to article 6. I want to emphasize that these decisions are political. If anyone is dissatisfied or doubts their legitimacy, he should refer the Central Control Commission of DPS.
For our part, we can question whether the decisions by which the vice-chairmen of the DPS and members of the Central Committee were excluded, without holding a meeting and decision of the relevant collective body of the party, were legitimate. If we have to refer to the statute, Article 27 clearly states: “The Parliamentary Group is a function of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and makes decisions regarding its activities in the National Assembly in accordance with the Statute and program documents of the Movement.“
Furthermore, is there an explanation in accordance with the Statute for the paradox in which 17 people's representatives were expelled at the same time, together with the chairman of the DPS, elected at a conference, without even being notified of the holding of a meeting of the parliamentary group? Whether such a meeting was held at all is doubtful. If it was, was there a quorum? These are the essential questions, not the artificially planted in the field of public interest questions about the mathematical quorum.
- Will Ahmed Dogan vacate his houses in Rosenets and Boyana?
- We don't have much information about exactly what is happening, but we will not let Ahmed Dogan's property be taken out just like that.
- We have a new cabinet, but without Kalin Stoyanov in it. What policy do you expect the second government of Dimitar Glavchev to implement?
- Our expectation completely overlaps with the expectation of the society and the voters in Bulgaria, namely that the caretaker government fulfills its main priority - transparent and fair holding of early parliamentary elections. By the way, whatever the Constitution and laws in our country dictate. This, in turn, should lead to an increase in confidence in the electoral system and the fairness of the electoral process. The goal is to increase voter turnout by reducing the feeling of many voters that nothing changes even if they vote, which is why voters do not vote because they are disenfranchised.
- Can Borisov stop being “chief“ of Dimitar Glavchev?
- It is precisely in this question that the genesis of the political situation in Bulgaria at the moment and the huge mistrust of the Bulgarian society towards the political elite lies. This is because someone somewhere is carrying out the orders of the “boss” and not being guided by what we all took an oath to do - to be guided by the interest of the people. The clearest indicator of this will be whether the acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev will carry out dependency policies, as we suspected from some decisions of his first official cabinet. We announced this publicly from the rostrum of the National Assembly and to the media. Any suspicion of dependencies in the work of the caretaker government, in particular the caretaker prime minister, undermines confidence in it as a state institution. It is not permissible and there should be no dependence not only on his former party leader, but also on others. In other words, the acting Prime Minister should in no case have another “chief” apart from the Bulgarian people, their interest and their well-being.
- The changes in the Constitution, which you also supported, aimed at President Rumen Radev having options for acting prime minister. And as we can see, the options were reduced to one. Why were these changes necessary?
- The latest changes to the Constitution, which were adopted by the 49th National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court did not cancel, give the president the right to choose an acting prime minister from ten possible options.
But the GERB parliamentary group and Peevski's group made it so that these options were reduced to one, by not allowing the so-called “household book“ to be filled in.
In addition, there was the resignation and relinquishment of a potential caretaker prime minister just before the formation of the first caretaker government after the constitutional changes. The reasons for the resignation were never clearly presented either to us as people's representatives or to the Bulgarian society.
- Will we see new changes of district governors of DPS?
- During the first office of Dimitar Glavchev, we witnessed regional governors appointed and after less than a month selectively dismissed in several areas where DPS is the first political force. And this was done with, to put it mildly, untenable, absurd and mutually contradictory arguments. The motive for releasing the Regional Governors of Kardzhali and Smolyan, as well as the Deputy Regional Governor of Pleven, was that they declared political bias by standing behind the honorary chairman of the DPS, Dr. Ahmed Dogan. At the same time, the District Governor of Haskovo, who declared an open political bias, supporting Delyan Peevski, has not yet been released. It is precisely such actions that speak of addiction. Therefore, we strongly hope that this unacceptable practice of following someone's whims will not continue under the new caretaker government and the government will not be allowed to fall into such an unacceptable situation. Because in addition to the preparation and conduct of the elections, it must maintain institutional stability and ensure the normal and efficient functioning of the entire state administration - both at the central and regional levels.
- The date of the election is clear – October 27. DPS (without Peevski) or DPS of Peevski will participate in the vote? Or both…
- And in these regular early parliamentary elections, scheduled by presidential decree for October 27, 2024, DPS will participate as it has always participated so far. We will not get tired of repeating that DPS is one, with a founder, first chairman and a single leader who embodies and expresses the eternal values and strategic goals of the party - our honorary chairman Dr. Ahmed Dogan. And how other persons and politicians will participate in the upcoming elections is not our topic at all.
- For the first time, the DPS is faced with the question of not participating independently. Is this the time apart for the party?
- DPS is the only systematic party actively participating in the political life of our country from the very beginning of the transition, which constantly and in principle supports the ideas and vision for the development of Bulgaria as a European country. It confirms its stable political presence through the achieved results of all the elections held in which it has always participated. Over the years it has gone through and successfully overcome various challenges, difficulties and attempts at division. And it has always come out stronger from such situations. Be convinced that as a stabilizing and balancing political factor, especially in such complex and crisis times, the DPS will be more united and more cohesive.
- What result are you chasing from DPS (without Peevski) in the vote?
- Every political party participates in the electoral process in order to gain the greatest trust in the Bulgarian society. But the more important thing for us is to achieve that result that guarantees sustainable governance of the state, which fulfills all those issues that are on the agenda for all Bulgarian citizens. This is the result that we will pursue during the vote.
Calming of the political situation, sustainability and elimination of the dependencies of the Bulgarian institutions must be achieved.
Only in this way will we be able to return normality to Bulgarian politics. This is also our goal. And here I want to point out the fact that with us the set goal and the achieved result always almost completely match. You will find out for yourself on October 27 after the end of election day. The DPS will be stronger, which in turn will lead to an exit from the political crisis, by ending the spiral of early elections, and will achieve the stabilization of our country as a whole and its successful development as a country, a full member of the European Union.< br />
- What is the mood among voters by district…
- We go around and hold meetings with the DPS activists, sympathizers and voters in different areas of the entire country to hear their opinion, views and recommendations. And this is not something new for us - we have always done it. As they say, let's check our clocks and if necessary make adjustments in our work. Everywhere the members and sympathizers of the DPS clearly and categorically declare their unreserved support to our honorary chairman Ahmed Dogan, who is the moral pillar of democracy, the rights and freedoms of all Bulgarian citizens, the architect of the Bulgarian ethnic model and the peaceful transition from totalitarianism to democracy in our country unlike our neighboring Balkan countries. They express their conviction that we will come out of these upcoming elections even stronger and united, because there is no way and no one to frighten, shock or mislead the electorate of the authentic DPS.
- Will we see Ahmed Dogan in the election campaign?
- Dr. Dogan is the politician in Bulgaria with a capital P, the person, the fighter, the statesman who has proven himself even during his dissident years, throughout the transition period through his foresight, finding and implementing the most correct solutions and the necessary adequate actions for the specific situation. He always managed during complex crises to set the right formula for a successful outcome. Ahmed Dogan is the statesman-leader whom I can say we need in this difficult and crisis situation for our country, as well as the complex geopolitical situation around us. He has always led these processes in difficult moments for Bulgaria and we have successfully overcome them. The times we live in demand it – Ahmed Dogan to be an active participant in order to guarantee a better future for our country.