Mayor of Haskovo closes down the municipality for an indefinite period of time

The Mayor of Haskovo Georgi Ivanov announced yesterday that the municipality will not be functioning for an indefinite period of time. The motive for this act is a confirmation of the decision of the Plovdiv Court of Appeal, which ruled that a construction firm from the town had rightfully blocked the bank accounts of the local authorities. A few days ago, however, the court lifted the distraint on these accounts demanded by another construction company. The accounts of the municipality have been frozen on the grounds that it owes more than BGN 3 mln to a company for repairs of streets performed back in 2007.

According to the Mayor of Haskovo, the distraint is absolutely illegal. Ivanov called the closing down of the municipality “a provoked precedent” and explained that it was aimed at drawing attention. “The protest will continue until someone from the central Government explains which of these two opposite rulings on similar cases is correct,” specified the town’s Mayor. The employees of the municipality’s administration have filed applications for a 4-day leave which will continue until Friday but the protest could last longer.

Ivanov assumed full responsibility for the decision to lock the municipality and said he considered it legal. He addressed the Government, reproaching it with a lack of desire to hold a dialogue and saying that two ministers visited Haskovo in recent months but showed no interest in meeting him.

In order to break the deadlock regarding the blocked accounts of the municipality, Ivanov has asked for an interpretation of the court rulings from Justice Minister Margarita Popova and Lazar Gruev, President of the Supreme Court of Cassation. During the protests in the municipality, employees engaged in weddings and funerals, desks for the payment of local fees and taxes, as well as municipal enterprises will continue working. The Mayor also announced that he was preparing a declaration to the European Commission, asking it to send lawyers, become familiar with the situation in Haskovo and suggest a way out of it.

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