Криминална хроника

September 28,
9.30 a.m.
For this day and time, the regular meeting of the Municipal Council - Velingrad was scheduled for m. September. It was expected to begin with the swearing-in of the newly elected mayor of the municipality, Stoyan Dulev, who received the certificate of election from the Municipal Election Commission the previous day. At 9.30 a.m. The entire Municipal Administration headed by Vrid Mayor Atanas Vodev was in the big hall, and in front of the entrance children with costumes were expecting the new mayor with bread and salt. Many voters of Stoyan Dulev had also come with bouquets in their hands. However, the solemn swearing-in ceremony never took place. The reason: only 13 municipal councillors were present instead of the quorum needed for at least 15. At the roll call by Chairman N. Kehayov was found to be present with the five DPS councillors, the four from the Green Party, the three from the BZNS and Dr. Tsvetan Dafov from the UDF. The remaining 16 councillors did not come to the meeting. The stalemate caused an angry reaction from DPS MP Fidel Beev. In the lobby outside the hall in a loud voice, he accused all the councillors of being mafia. "Until the mafia is expelled from Velingrad, the city will not develop," shouted the MP in the presence of the regional governor Angel Cholakov. Personally to Mr. Cholakov, who is from the quota of BSP, DPS-MP F. Beev made the remark that the BSP is a mafia and accused him of meeting with local BSP leader Toma Pachalov the previous day and knowing about the boycott. Angel Cholakov replied that not F. Beev, and certain bodies decide on the accusation "mafia" and the MP must present evidence.
At 10 o'clock, the President of the local Parliament N. Kehayov announced that he was adjourning the session by 1 hour. People resented the absence of the councillors, accused them of corruption, asked why they were not in the hall, after receiving salaries for this.
At 11 o'clock, 13 councillors appeared again, although on the part of F. Beev and local BZNS leader Georgi Velev have made many attempts to ensure the presence of at least two more so that Stoyan Dulev could be sworn in. N. Kehayov announced that he was calling an emergency session the next day at 10 o'clock and that he would leave a power of attorney to his deputy as he went on a business trip to Austria.
Speaking to national radio the same day, Stoyan Dulev said that the non-voting councillors demonstrated disrespect for the vote of the voters and this is exactly what led to a record low turnout in Velingrad.
September 29,
10 hours
After the one-day postponement of the session, on September 29 in the hall the number of councillors present, instead of increasing, decreased to 12. Dr. Petar Buchkov from NDSV appeared from those absent from the previous day, but they were not N. Kehayov and R. Sidjim from DPS and Yves. Puknev of the BZNS. At the meeting came also the Vice-President of the Municipal Council Mihail Alexiev, who announced that he had no quorum and that he was authorized by the non-resident councillors to read a declaration. The declaration (the text we publish separately) was read in a semi-empty hall, as at the suggestion of D. The Green Party's Gadzhev councillors and citizens left. Those who stayed accompanied the reading of the document with booing and insulting qualifications to absent advisors. With the declaration, 15 councillors proposed to the newly elected mayor Stoyan Dulev that a preliminary solidarity agreement be adopted, after which he would be sworn in. The councillors recognize the election result, but want to make a plan for the 2-year development of the municipality for the term of st. Dulev to ensure that he would not continue his current confrontational model of governance.
After reading the declaration, the meeting was again postponed by 1 hour in search of a quorum. Although the anticipation lasted for nearly an hour and a half, a quorum did not come together. In front of the municipality this time came personally the newly elected mayor Stoyan Dulev. Minutes after 12 o'clock, Mikhail Alexiev scheduled the next meeting for 14 o'clock on October 4 and rejected the request of councilors to hold a session on Friday on the grounds that they had no official request in the registry office of the Municipal Council. Meanwhile, F. Beev and G. Velev went to the BSP headquarters in the old municipality. At an informal meeting with some of the boycotters of St. John's Oath. Dulev advisers were exchanged sharp lines and threats. Eventually, an agreement was reached at 2 p.m. on September 30 in the small hall of the municipality for each of the parties to send three representatives to start negotiations on the co-operation agreement.
September 30,
14 hours
The small hall of the municipality remained empty. The negotiations did not start, as no authorized representatives of either side appeared. The only councillor who came at the appointed day and time was Ivan Lebanov. No one also announced official reasons for the failed start of the negotiations. Negotiations did not start on Saturday or Sunday, nor was there any clarity as to whether there would be any at all. But the answers to all the questions around the mayoral post will be clear on October 4, because a new postponement of the session is almost out of the question. Elena Baeva

COMMENTS
Angel Cholakov, Regional Governor: Apparently there are many serious contradictions in Velingrad, many accumulated problems that are not solved on the basis of constructive dialogue, but evolve to total opposition. I cannot comment on the motives of the municipal councilors. It was necessary to seek consensus, to understand the motives of municipal councilors. Regarding F.C.'s accusations. Beev for "mafia": I can not guarantee the upbringing that everyone has received. There are organs that determine whether it is a "mafia". If Beev has evidence, present it in court.

Nejat Kehayov, Chairman of the Municipal Council: Today's event (the failed meeting on 28.09.) undeniably pours new oil into the fire. I was not informed of the intentions of the municipal councilors. What is happening will complicate the situation in Velingrad and create new moods that will not benefit the Municipal Council. The LMSMA allows counselors to take such actions, swearing-in is not legally regulated exactly in the law, and counselors boycotted the oath. MP Beev's qualifications for "mafia" were addressed directly to the Municipal Council. I can't accept that the City Council is a mafia. Everyone should be responsible for their actions - on both sides. When accused, to speak with facts and names, to indicate the persons and I would assist to be notified to the Prosecutor's Office. This common wording "mafia" will undoubtedly influence the attitudes of municipal councilors.