Plamen Yuroukov and Plamen Radonov have been ousted from the United Democratic Forces (UDF) by the party's national council on May 4 after the duo have been accused of attempting to thwart the registration of a coalition with the Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB). At the meeting on May 4, 62 voted in favour of the dismissal, with four abstentions and no votes against.

Former UDF leader Yuroukov and chief secretary of the party Radonov were not present at the meeting, neither was the list's leader for the European elections Nadezhda Mihailova, Bulgarian daily Dnevnik said.

The row started when on the evening of April 30 2009, former UDF leader Yuroukov registered the party with the election committee for the European elections. Party leader Martin Dimitrov, who is yet to be confirmed as party leader by court decision nearly six months after the party elections, responded by submitting a proposal to have Yurukov dismissed.

In an interview with Nova television, Dimitrov accused ruling coalition partners Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) of interference. Radonov and Yuroukov are both reported to be close to former UDF secretary-general Hristo Bisserov, who is now a top-ranking official in the MRF.

"In practise, today, the illegitimate exclude the legitimate for registering the party they represent," Radonov said. Radonov's lobby has been blamed by Dimitrov and other UDF leaders for the months of court delays in the registration of the new party leadership, which put a question mark over UDF's participation in the European Parliament elections in June. The deadline for parties to register for the election is May 12.

Unless a court confirms Dimitrov as the leader by then, Yuroukov will remain the de jure chairperson of UDF.