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20.05.2016
Novinite

Bulgaria’s President Rosen Plevneliev said on Friday that he wouldn’t run for a second term of office in this year’s elections, citing personal reasons.

“The fact that there will be no second term immediately after the first one doesn’t mean that I am exiting politics. However, don’t expect me to make a new political party or become a member of any of them,” Plevneliev said in a statement on the President’s website.

Plevleniev also said that he had informed prime Minister Boyko Borisov about his decision on Thursday.

Bulgaria is to hold presidential elections in the autumn.

“I think that I am honest and fair to all when I declare my decision five months before the presidential elections,” Plevneliev said and added that he wanted to put an end to speculation whether he would run or not.

Plevneliev also said that he could not accept political calculations ahead of forthcoming elections to replace the pursuit of key reforms such as judicial reform and the adoption of anti-corruption legislation.

Plevneliev issued his statement two days after he said that he would refer to the Constitutional Court the Parliament’s “hugely regrettable” decision to override his veto on changes to election rules that could hamper voting by Bulgarian citizens residing abroad.

Plevneliev’s move prompted opposition Socialists, as well nationalist Patriotic Front who had pushed controversial changes to election rules through parliament, to speculate that he had launched a campaign for his re-election.

The incumbent head of state said earlier this week that his potential nomination should not be discussed before the end of June when he planned to announce whether he would run or not in presidential elections 2016. His statement was made in response to a proposal by Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) party calling on pro-Western political parties to nominate Plevneliev as independent candidate for a second term of office.

Plevneliev, who had been Regional Development Minister in the first cabinet led by Borisov (2009-2013), was nominated for presidential candidate by Borisov's GERB party in September 2011. He won the election in October 2011 in a runoff with Socialist candidate Ivaylo Kalfin.

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