Prime Minister Supports NGOs' Initiative to Set Up Election Board

Sofia, February 2 (BTA) - Caretaker Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdjikov on Thursday supported an initiative of NGOs to set up a civic Election Board ahead of the March 26 early parliamentary elections. If necessary, the government can provide technical assistance for the purpose, the Council of Ministers press service said.

Gerdjikov recalled that similar boards functioned successfully under the previous two caretaker governments. He said: "I am convinced that the NGOs which have kept a close eye on the election campaigns and the elections over the last two decades possess the expertise and the civic motivation to cooperate with the public institutions and the Bulgarian citizens in making sure that the elections are fair, transparent and conforming to all legal rules."

The Prime Minister noted that his government wants to prepare the elections in the best possible way. The decision of the Supreme Administrative Court that voting machines must be available in all voting sections requires an additional effort, he said.