On the same day in which the prosecutor submitted the indictment against Plamen Galev, the regional election commission in Kyustendil announced it had accepted his registration to stand for national elections.

Maya Shishkova, deputy chair and spokesman of the election commission was quoted by Bulgarian daily Dnevnik as saying that the decision for the registration had been taken after the Civil Registration and Administrative Services (CRAS) had verified the signatures collected to support his bid.

An initiative committee in Galev's hometown of Doupnitsa, southern Bulgaria, had collected more than 14 000 signatures, of which 13 266 were accepted by CRAS. At least 10 000 signatures are needed to run for MP in any of Bulgaria's 31 majoritarian precincts.

Only a few hours earlier, the prosecutor's office announced it had submitted indictments against Galev with Sofia City Court. The registration means that Galev can be set free for the duration of the 21-day election campaign and the court case against him, and four others, could be put on hold. For this to happen he must file a request before the court.

The only way this could change is if a complaint is filed against the way signatures have been collected, with media speculating that people were forced into signing that they supported Galev's nomination. Such a complaint can be filed within three days after Galev's papers have been approved by the regional elections committee.

Galev, along with business associate Plamen Hristov, is currently under arrest on suspicion of organising and controlling a criminal group. Both Galev and Hristov are commonly referred in the media as the Galevi brothers because of their close relationship.

The criminal group, according to prosecutors, had used fear, physical force and extortion in its activity.

On June 11 2009 private national bTV channel interviewed people from Doupnitsa who claimed that Galev was the best thing that has happened to their town because in his capacity of a council to the city hall he has done many things for Doupnitsa residents. People from the town's Roma neighbourhood were also in Galev's favour for he has given them jobs, bTV's report showed.