Политика

A group of supporters of former mayor Fidel Beev tried on December 9 and 10 to blow up dangerous tension in the building of the Municipality of Velingrad. During the extraordinary session of the Municipal Council on December 9, people overflowed the hall. The councillors met to elect a new interim mayor in the place of Stoyan Dulev. But with shouts, booings and invectives, some of the attendees did not allow the meeting to take place in a normal setting. Instead of argumentative statements, to which they are entitled by rules of procedure, those who came to the session used swearing and obscene lines. In the hall were also some of the workers of Stroycom, who in turn chanted against Mr. Dulev, with whose signature the municipal firm went to bankruptcy. The most dangerous moment was when mutual insults "Pomaks" and "Gypsies" flew. The chairman of the Municipal Council Nejat Kehayov made several attempts to bring order to the hall, but failed and the councilors voted the decision to continue the meeting as closed. With full unanimity, the 21 councillors present elected Atanas Vodev as interim mayor and appointed a commission to carry out the adoption and transfer of power.
Early in the morning of the next day, the municipality building was blocked by 50-60 people, the majority of them brought by buses and truck from St. Petka, Pobit stone, Draginovo, etc. People stayed at the entrance of the municipality until 4 pm and chanted "We want Dulev", "Down with Vodev", "The crooks out", "Hear the people", "Cowards, mice, mafia". Two posters were also erected with inscriptions saying "Win the election, become mayor" and "G-to councilors, wait for the election, do not change the vote". Most citizens who had jobs in the municipality were able to enter the building, but there were also those who were not allowed in. Protesters received tea from a nearby F. Beev, and for lunch they gave them bagels.
During the entire protest, police officers with several cars remained in front of the municipality building. There is no request for permission for the protest, the Chief of the Police of the Ministry of Interior, Major Angel Daskalov, categorically stated. He stressed that the police would guard so that there would not be riots, but they had approached the prosecution and from there they had to take the necessary measures. Request to assist the elected interim mayor At. Vodev and the committee sent to the police and the prosecution and the chairman of the Municipal Council N. Kehayov, but without effect.
Despite the protesters' expectations, the newly elected interim mayor and the commission made no attempt to enter the municipality. Thus, the possibility of a new escalation of the explosive situation was avoided.
The blockade in front of the municipal building ended shortly after 4 p.m. when Stoyan Dulev appeared together with Deputy Mayors Sonia Chavdarova and Recep Hodzhov. Mr. Dulev showed a definition by the Pazardzhik District Court that the preliminary execution of the decision of the Municipal Council is suspended. The people greeted the news with cries of "Victory!" and went away satisfied. Hardly anyone is fooled that this is the end of the conflict. It is normal for everyone to express their opinion, but in a true democracy there is a strict procedure how civil protests are conducted and the law enforcement authorities strictly monitor its compliance. In Velingrad this does not happen, the real organizers of the "people's unrest" were not shown publicly either. But hopefully everyone directly or indirectly involved in this scenario realizes that the population of Velingrad and the municipality does not gain anything from fueling mutual hatred and intolerance.
Elena Baeva