In brief
The Central Election Commission rejected a complaint against Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s statement urging voters to back Iliana Iotova, ruling it did not violate election rules in a close 8‑to‑7 vote. The Yes, Bulgaria party, part of Democratic Bulgaria, will appeal the ruling, accusing the commission of silence over more than 105 complaints about government communication channels. Critics argue the decision ignores the political nature of the Prime Minister’s remarks and the official channels used to disseminate them.
Sofia – The Central Election Commission (CEC) rejected a complaint against Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s statement urging voters to support Iliana Iotova, ruling that it did not violate election rules in an 8‑to‑7 vote, and Yes, Bulgaria announced it will appeal the decision.
The CEC’s ruling explained that the statement was made outside a state or municipal agency and on October 26, before the official campaign period began, and therefore did not constitute campaign material under Article 183 of the election code. Alina Dobreva and Vyara Todeva of the CEC expressed objections to the decision, arguing that the problem lay with the dissemination of the remarks through the Council of Ministers’ communication channels.
The complaint centers on the CEC’s refusal to rule on more than 105 complaints lodged by parties and NGOs regarding the use of the Government Information Service and the official channels of the Council of Ministers to support Iotova’s candidacy.
"This is particularly alarming, because we are not talking about a party page, a personal profile, or a campaign platform. We are talking about the official communication channels of the Council of Ministers, maintained with public funds," said an official statement released by Yes, Bulgaria.
The party warned that the CEC must not become an institutional shield protecting those in power from scrutiny, adding that the commission’s independence is an obligation to apply the law equally to everyone.
While the CEC’s decision was quickly settled, the Yes, Bulgaria appeal will allow the complaints to be reconsidered in court, signalling that the controversy over government use of official media to influence a presidential race remains unresolved.
