The Coalition “Continuing Change - Democratic Bulgaria“ (PP-DB) has filed an alert with the Ministry of Interior and the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office about suspicions of preparations for vote buying in the Sofia district “Iskar“ on the eve of the partial local elections scheduled for June 15, 2025. This was announced by the formation.
The alert states that citizens warn of an increased presence of people around certain homes, accompanied by rumors of offering financial incentives in exchange for voting for a specific candidate. In addition, informal conversations with vulnerable citizens, such as the elderly and low-income households, aimed at influencing the electoral vote, as well as the presence of outsiders in the area who exert pressure, are reported.
The signal also recalls previous precedents for manipulation of the electoral process in the area, including documented cases from 2019, when video recordings revealed contacts between the then mayoral candidate and individuals known to control the vote. The coalition emphasizes that the “Iskar“ district is particularly vulnerable to such schemes, which is also confirmed by data from the Anti-Corruption Fund. They indicate a concentration of risky sections in areas with municipal housing and low incomes such as “Druzhba 1“ and “Druzhba 2“.
PP-DB insists on an immediate specialized inspection of the territory of the “Iskar“ district, increased police presence before and on election day, and coordinated actions by the institutions to promptly respond to possible election violations and to guarantee a transparent and fair election process.
We recall that the mayor of Iskar district, Yasen Rusev, was removed for formal administrative reasons after a signal submitted by GERB to the MEC.