Ex-President Parvanov: I’ll Stay in Politics but Outside Parliament

Former President Georgi Parvanov said on Monday he will remain active in Bulgaria’s political life without running for member of parliament in the October election.

Parvanov, who served two successive terms of office from 2002 to 2012, told Nova TV channel that he was not in politics to make a living and seeking a seat in parliament does not befit a head of state.

“I’ll be involved in politics, that’s what I can do. I’ll be involved in science, that’s what I’ve been doing all my life,” Parvanov, a historian by profession, said, commenting why his name was not on the ABV list of party nominees for members of parliament.

Former Bulgarian Foreign Minister and Member of European Parliament Ivailo Kalfin and former Interior Minister Rumen Petkov are on the election lists of Parvanov's Alternative for Bulgarian Revival party known by its Bulgarian acronym ABV.

Parvanov said if ABV entered parliament, they could try to introduce new electoral legislation for registration of party candidates and control of funding for political parties in a bid to bolster statehood.

Alleviating Bulgaria’s demographic crisis will be a top priority for ABV, as well as pushing through a long-delayed reform of the healthcare sector, Parvanov added.

A Gallup survey last week gave ABV 2.4% support if elections were held now, below the threshold of 4% needed to enter parliament.