Pre-Election Upheaval: 'We Continue the Change' Implicated in Secret Recording Saga

A recent revelation of a clandestine recording involving key figures of the "We Continue the Change" party has sparked turmoil amid the ongoing election campaign in Bulgaria. The audio, released on the "Afera" website last night, was subsequently confirmed to be authentic by the political party. Despite its poor quality, the voices of party co-chairmen Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev, former prime minister Nikolai Denkov, and Petkov's aide Lena Borislavova can be discerned.

Though much of the conversation remains unintelligible, it is evident that the discussion revolves around campaign donations during the previous year's parliamentary elections. References are made to millions required for television advertisements, discussions about "official cash" and "cash in bags," and the proper handling of donations, which have set limits for individual contributions.

In the recording, Petkov is heard addressing a person named "Plamen," inquiring about the possibility of securing an additional one and a half million for the campaign. The funding could be sourced officially or unofficially, tailored to the preferences of the donor, but it is emphasized that the funds are needed for a television commercial.

The overall impression conveyed by the recording is that the party is actively seeking campaign funds, whether through official channels or otherwise, with unofficial contributions possibly being channeled through official donors.

The "Afera" publication asserts that "Plamen" referred to in the recording is businessman Plamen Bobokov. Subsequent commentary suggests that the recording, if not recorded, was at least distributed by infamous businessman Alexei Petrov, who was murdered last August and was named by...