Политика

In response to the press conference given a week ago by the municipal councilors from the BSP on October 1, the same did their colleagues from the ODF. The first for the term press conference of the UDF is dedicated to the 3 years of coalition rule in Velingrad, announced the chairman of the group Georgi Yanev. Mayor Dr. Tsvetan Dafov specified that the main topic was the accusations made by the BSP to the ODF and the Municipal Administration (OA). On the accusations that it is known in advance who will win a tender or competition, the mayor reminded that there are numerous checks and revisions that confirm the opposite. Under many of the procedures, there are also court rulings proving the legality of OA's actions. The BSP group does not have a single position: if the OA offers a concession, the BSP wants a trading company and vice versa. The BSP group should read the Commerce Act well, stressed Dr. Dafov. He presented a reference that the municipality's shareholding in "Parkings and Garages" has not decreased and is 34% along with a written declaration by Deputy Mayor Angel Toporchev that he has not given any information on the topic to BSP advisers. According to the mayor, the BSP is not unified in its positions for the central city area: once it is against the construction of the parking lot building, a second time it is about the construction of a new building on the reclaimed plot of Mr. Boyadzhiev.

As a major success of the management of ODF, the mayor pointed to the privatization of municipal sites such as the bakery and the polyclinic, thanks to which the municipality has money for asphalting and lighting.
Special attention was paid to the municipal enterprise "Sports Properties and Beaches", which is going towards liquidation - a recommendation made to the municipality about 2 years ago. Therefore, owners of the sports facilities are sought and the municipality gave the Yundola Winter Stadium to Sport Beevi AD. In Velingrad, we vilify people willing to give money for sports, and the guests of the city are astonished and welcome this, the mayor said. He urged sportsmen led by Ivan Lebanov to sit at a table with the Beevi brothers, to reach out their hands and then something unique could be done for Velingrad.
Ekaterina Kaferinova, advisor from BZNS-NS, explained the philosophy of ODS: change of ownership, which is the basis of the transition and search for investors. This is not following any economic interests, but following a certain policy. Mrs. Kaferinova thanked all businessmen in Velingrad who have shown interest in municipal sites, because thanks to this interest the city is changing. She compared with the previous term, when only the deal for Bor restaurant was made and the streets of Bunny Good were paved. In all 12 years in Velingrad, not so much investment has been attracted and not so much is being built as during the 3-year rule of the UDF. Ms. Kaferinova pointed out that the tenders and competitions won the best offers by protecting municipal rather than private interests: for example, the price of the Bread factory was significantly increased, of restaurant "Bulgaria" too. The councilwoman paid special attention to the topic discussed among the public that the municipality tolerates the Beevi brothers. By the last session, they had received from the municipality only the City Stadium, which is not a profitable site, Ek stressed. Cafferina. The councillors supported the Beevi brothers for such an important site as the Central Mineral Beach because they were proven investors. It was recalled that every good businessman in Velingrad has taken something from the municipality and has invested: Beevi brothers, Viktor Yovchev, Rangelov family, the concessionaires of the baths are different people, and the philosophy of ODS is to enable more people to develop their business.
As Chairman of the Committee on Legality in the Municipal Council Ek. Cafferinova was adamant that all decisions of the local parliament are lawful and expedient - the same is confirmed in every contestation by the regional governor in the court. We have been through a lot for the Trade Center, but the building already has it, it is beautiful, from the park and the square has not been taken one square meter and I am sure that the people of Velingrad will understand that this was the road and we have thought for their good, said the councilwoman.
In response to a question why the municipality did not announce a tender for the Beach, as is the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court, the mayor said that the risk is to appear 5-10 candidates who blackmail each other in the name of their personal interests. With the establishment of Beach Beevi AD, the municipal interest is protected and this is the highest participation so far of 49%. The advisor Nikola Todev, manager of Sports Properties and Beaches and an elected member of the Board of Directors in Beach Beevi AD, also took part in the discussion. According to him, the last two years of litigation have shown that the municipality cannot plan funds for the Beach, there are also difficulties with the mineral water permit. The problem is blatant, it does not wait, and the municipal share of 49% satisfies me, Mr. Todev said.
Ms. Kaferinova's assessment of the work of ODF advisers over the past 3 years is very good. It is motivated by the important decisions that have opened the way for business and investment in the city. By the end of the term, the ODF has the ambitions and will to be resolved and the issue of the Market and the Cultural House. For the organization of the work in the OCC, she said that the assessment was not high. I am proud to have voted for all these things, despite the reproaches, summed up Ek. Cafferina. The only words that sounded self-critical were that people did not know the truth about these decisions, which means that the government may not have explained well, but the media was also to blame for this. The mayor did not want to give assessments because they are a voter's right. He thanked the councilors from the ODF, without whose support the important decisions for the city would not have been accepted by the citizens of Velikograd for tolerance and criticality. We will pursue an aggressive policy of raising capital to solve the problem of unemployment, the mayor promised. And Nikola Todev wished next year the inscription on the fence of the Beach "7 years nothing in Velingrad" to be gone.
Elena Baeva