Martin Dimitrov resigns

UDF (United Democratic Forces) leader Martin Dimitrov handed in his resignation today after the National Council of the party did not accept the agreement for participating in the parliamentary elections next year together with DSB (Democrats for Strong Bulgaria). This was the end of the Blue Coalition.

At the meeting of UDF’s National Council Assembly in Plovdiv, 49 delegates voted against the preservation of the Blue Coalition, 38 were for it and five delegates abstained. This led to the resignation of Martin Dimitrov, who warned last week that he would give up the leadership position in case of such a development. An acting leader is to be chosen to take up UDF’s operational guidance.

The main opponents to the preservation of the coalition with DSB were UDF’s chapters in Sofia and Burgas and the head of UDF’s election headquarters Boris Markov. UDF’s Sofia organisation explained its motives for voting against the preservation of the Blue Coalition, saying that “it is a formula of fear and hypocrisy” and Boris Markov called the decision of the National Council “liberation of UDF”.

Martin Dimitrov commented that the leader of DSB Ivan Kostov had to resign in order to keep the Blue Coalition because UDF’s vote was against him personally and not against his party.

“After this vote, UDF must run in the elections by itself and not in a coalition with the National Movement for Stability and Progress or with the future party of Meglena Kuneva. Both UDF and DSB face a great risk of remaining outside the next National Assembly,” added Dimitrov.

Regarding the forthcoming vote for a new leader of UDF, Dimitrov said he would vote for someone who “will work for the best of the party” and that he would also insist on carrying our the voting procedure within a month.

Following UDF’ decision, the leadership of DSB gathered at an extraordinary meeting and circulated a brief statement. “We regret that UDF’s National Council rejected the agreement for the Blue Coalition’s participation in the elections, drafted by the negotiating group. Our electorate showed clearly by its vote that it wants a strong right-wing person to face the challenges of the crisis”, reads the declaration.

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