Bulgarian Interior Minister reports increase in vote-buying signals

Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has reported an increase in signals regarding election violations and attempts to buy votes ahead of the second round of presidential elections. While the first round of voting was noted as being exceptionally calm, the Ministry of Interior has observed a rise in reports specifically aimed at supporting one of the candidate pairs.

Demerdzhiev urged political forces to maintain the calm tone established during the first round and to avoid corrupt practices for gathering support. He emphasized that votes cannot be sought through trade or illicit methods.

Law enforcement officials are monitoring both known groups involved in election trading and new, previously unknown individuals. While many reports have not been confirmed, the Minister stated that police are acting decisively where evidence of criminal activity is gathered. Additionally, investigations into local officials are ongoing, with Demerdzhiev suggesting the number of accused individuals may increase as more solid evidence is collected.