The large budget surplus results mainly from savings from expenditure, Sofia municipal councillor from Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) told private broadcaster Nova Television. This means that some economic sectors or the management of others was not financed properly and money taken from these sectors was transferred to other sectors.
The opposition had to work in synchronisation, which did not mean coalition, ultra-nationalist party Ataka leader Volen Siderov told Bulgarian National Television (BNT). The other parties did not offer tangible plans for government, he said. The fact that GERB [Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria] also wanted MRF [Movement for Rights and Freedoms] to leave the government, proved Atakas thesis about the role of Ahmed Dogans movement and its relations with the criminal underworld, Siderov said. It was possible that Ataka would feature in the government after the elections, but if not, it was ready to be in opposition, he said.
The Interior Ministry received the information on the arrest of Kostadin Hadjiivanov from the Greek authorities, Interior Ministrys chief secretary Pavlin Dimitrov told private broadcaster bTV. Hadjiivanov, who is president of Belasitsa football club, was detained in Greece on September 4. Greek authorities did not require Bulgarian polices co-operation, Dimitrov said.
5000 votes are of little importance to BSP, member of European Parliament Iliyana Iotova told bTV, commenting on BSPs idea for part of the budget surplus to be used towards free holidays for 3000 to 5000 pensioners.
