Bulgarian Party Withdraws 2 Candidates over Affiliation to Fmr State Security

A political party called Nova Bulgaria ("New Bulgaria") removed the names of two MP candidates from its list for the October 5 early elections.

The organization sent a letter to public broadcaster BNR just a day after the Files Commission published online a list of candidates from all parties that were State Security (DS) agents during the Soviet-bloc era.

Among the 98 names were Nikolay Serafimov and Zhivko Chaparov from Nova Bulgaria.

The list [BG] also includes:

- 5 members of conservative Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB);
- 11 of liberal Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS);
- 9 people from Bulgaria without Censorship;
- one candidate from right-wing Reformist Bloc;
- 14 from center-left coalition of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) called "BSP - Left Bulgaria";
- 11 from center-left Alternative from Bulgarian Revival (ABV);
- 4 from far-right Ataka;
- 12 from the Patriotic Front coalition (including VMRO and the National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria, NFSB);
- 5 from Coalition Left Wing Party and Green Party;
- 6 from New Alternative political party;
- 5 from Party of the Greens;
- one from Republika.bg;
- one from Bulgarian Social Democracy;
- one from the Social Democrat Party;
- 4 from New Power political party;
- 2 from New Bulgaria political party;
- one from the National Movement for Stability and Prosperity (NDSV);
- 2 from Movement 21;
- one from Coalition "the Right-Wingers".