United Patriots Will Not Ask their Faithful to Vote for Particular Candidate in Second Round

Sofia, November 7 (BTA) - The United Patriots coalition of the National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB), Ataka and the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) will not call on the voters who supported them in the first round of Bulgaria's November 6 presidential elections to back anybody in particular in the run-off but have questions for the two contestants for the office of head of State, the coalition's presidential candidate and IMRO leader Krassimir Karakachanov told an election night news conference Sunday night. Parallel vote counts place him third in the race.

"Those who voted for us voted their conscience," he pointed out. In his opinion, the United Patriots won over the electorate by the idea that Bulgaria is above everything, that it should not obey Brussels and should not reckon with Turkey's policies, and by saying "no" to illegal migration. "These are the subjects on which we want to hear the thoughts of the two second-round runners," Karakachanov said.

"We want to hear what they think, say, about the minimum pension, about the permanent settling of illegal migrants, and our voters will acknowledge whoever of the two is specific," the candidate commented.

The IMRO leader said that the United Patriots are in a good shape to press ahead and are "selfishly interested" in early parliamentary elections because they have 33 MPs now and would win 45 seats in the next polls. "We will perform even better in early elections, but I'm asking: does this benefit Bulgaria?" he said. According to Karakachanov, it is normal to think about the issues that concern the Bulgarian people: the energy sector, low income, education and healthcare. "Is it not normal for parties like GERB and the BSP [Bulgarian Socialist Party] to think about the Bulgarian people rather than about their own ego and sick power thirst?" he commented. Karakachanov pointed out that the United Patriots will enter early elections together.

Regarding the national referendum, NFSB leader Valeri Simeonov commented that the United Patriots see a risk of a rearrangement of parliamentary parties if the two-round majoritarian system is introduced.