Anton Kutev, MP from Coalition for Bulgaria: The majority of the party supports Stanishev

- Mr. Kutev, is it possible that internal party figures be behind the attack against Sergey Stanishev related to the Austrian lobbyist Hoheger?
- I don't think so. The Bulgarian Socialist Party is wise enough and its leaders are usually very experienced people. I don't believe any of them would make such a mistake.

- In the Parliament, it looks like most MPs from BSP are support the incumbent party Chairman Stanishev, but is this so within the local structures that Georgi Parvanov is currently visiting?
- Not only Georgi Parvanov is visiting various municipalities. I also visit my constituency and Sergey Stanishev is as well. I'm glad that the President got involved in this work because it is immense. However, I have long ago made my prediction - most of both the municipal and the district party leaders and most of the MPs from BSP would support the incumbent party Chairman. This is a way of thinking in BSP, which usually regards its leader as the backbone of the party and the attacks against him are perceived as attacks against the organisation itself.

- How is a change in BSP's leadership possible if the party always stays firmly behind its leader? The only possibility seems to be his own withdrawal?
- This is one of the rules due to which we have a 120-year-old party, i.e. this institutionalisation is a form of stability in the development of the party. In a number of cases, leaders have withdrawn at their own discretion, nominating a successor. In some cases, they were replaced, but this requires a truly revolutionary situation and a deep crisis. My opinion is that currently there is no crisis in BSP that could lead to a change of the Chairman.

- According to a recent survey of politicians' ratings, Georgi Parvanov enjoys a 33% public trust and Sergey Stanishev - 20%. Doesn't this mean that during elections Parvanov would gather a wider peripheral vote as BSP Chairman?
- According to me, this rating of Parvanov is still institutional rather than personal, i.e. it still has the characteristics of the presidential post he held. Of course, the situation with Sergey Stanishev is identical because his rating is also a result of the post he previously held (editor's note - of a prime minister). Being BSP Chairman and his recent appointment to head the Party of European Socialists is also important. However, I do not have the feeling that Stanishev would shut BSP, whicle Parvanov would open it. I would very much like that both Stanishev and Parvanov, and everyone else in BSP to start working for the benefit of the party and finally stop interfering with each other. This would be best for all our party members.

- There are parties with several leaders, such as the Green Party, the newly established National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria. These have three co-chairs and the Blue Coalition has two. Is such an option possible in BSP?
- I don't think so. Our party statute is clear enough, we have many traditions and one of the most difficult things in BSP is to violate traditions. Therefore, I don't think that such modern techniques would help us.

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