Политика

The official start of the election campaign of the mayoral candidate Ivan Lebanov was given on August 31 in an original way. The numerous audience in the large hall of the municipality was not greeted with the usual speeches and speeches, but with a screening of a film shot years ago. A film about that star moment in 1980, when at the winter olimipiad in the far Lake Placid skier Ivan Lebanov won the first Olympic medal in skiing for Bulgaria; for welcoming him to the square in Velingrad; for the countless days of hard training and effort in which the great athlete named the Bulgarian skier of the twentieth century was born.
The emotion of the film was continued with a verse of the late mayor Georgi Avramov, read by his son Vasil. And the numerous high-ranking guests as a sign of respect for the candidate remained standing on the stand throughout the meeting. To show support for Ivan Lebanov, in Velingrad came: the President of the Parliamentary Group of the Coalition for Bulgaria Mihail Mikov and his deputy Atanas Merdzhanov, BSP MPs and former mayors Georgi Petarneichev and Marko Mechev, NMSV MP Valentin Miltanov, the Regional Governor Ivan Dimitrov and last but not least the Olympic, World and European wrestling champion Georgi Murkov.
We supported Ivan Lebanov because of his qualities as a person - tolerant, self-disciplined, able to risk responsibly, consistent and flexible, said on behalf of the municipal organization of BSP Kostadin Shulev. He reminded that the people of our municipality have experienced quite a lot, they are tired of elections, but democracy requires activity from every citizen. In a short speech, candidate-mayor Ivan Lebanov presented his main intentions. He emphasized on the need for Velingrad to develop tourism and reminded that the big undeveloped niche is winter tourism. It is winter tourism that can turn Velingrad into a year-round resort, not a resort for 1 month. My strength is in winter tourism, I have ideas for its development from Sarnitsa to Yundola and Belmeken, Mr. Lebanov emphasized. It should also be the Sudka project, to change it and make it happen.
Two main tasks lie before the management of the municipality, according to Ivan Lebanov: creating a favorable climate for investments, while supporting and protecting local business and effective management of municipal property. With various acrobatic exercises in a number of companies, municipal property is lost, but if I am elected mayor, I will put everything on the table, the candidate promised. This is the only way Velingrad can become a rich municipality to pursue social policy. As his motto in the election race, Mr. Lebanov pointed out "Velingrad is not of an individual, not of a group of people, but of everyone!". Mihail Mikov said that in the person of Ivan Lebanov they support a man who started from an ordinary village and climbed the Olympic ladder; a man with whom the whole of Bulgaria will always be proud. He has achieved things in his life with sweat, persistence and will. And if he wants Velingrad to be proud of its mayor, let everyone come out on September 18 and support Ivan, urged the MP. Forget the personal attitudes that in Velingrad put people against each other, look for the common between you, he added.
Ivan Lebanov is a worthy candidate who will take Velingrad to a new level, he has proven his professionalism in the sport, it is time to prove it in local management as well, said the MP from NDSV Valentin Miltenov. Support and success of the elections was also wished by the leader of BSD Yordan Kostov. Ivan Lebanov has done a lot of work in the name of Velingrad, now Velingradians can thank him for this work, said Ivan Dimitrov. The most excitement was in the words of Georgi Merkov, who announced that he was in Velingrad to announce on behalf of all Bulgarian Olympians that they support Ivan Lebanov and believe him. Winning an Olympic medal means a lot of work, anguish and ambition. Once Ivan has shown that he has them, then Velingrad will be even nicer, thanks to a mayor like him.
The meeting ended without speeches from the hall, with Mr. Lebanov announcing that he would answer all questions of voters in the next meetings of the campaign.
Elena Baeva