Ivan Hristanov, who served as interim Minister of Agriculture in the Gyurov cabinet, has officially announced the name of his vice-presidential running mate. In the race for "Dondukov" 2 on October 25, he will be appearing alongside Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stoyanka Cherkezova. The news was announced by Hristanov himself during his appearance on the bTV show "120 Minutes," noting that he had declared his decision to run for head of state back in August.
The choice of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stoyanka Cherkezova as his partner is no coincidence, Hristanov emphasized. He justified his decision by citing her enviable expertise in demographic policies and her 20 years of research experience. She is part of the team at the Institute for Population and Human Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). "I chose her because I believe that a presidential ticket must stand up for causes. The most important one is demography," the former minister stated firmly.
According to the presidential candidate, his platform is not limited to the narrow right-wing spectrum but reaches out to a broader circle of people. Hristanov is convinced that the political situation in the country necessitates the emergence of a figure who is completely independent from both the ruling party and the opposition factions in the National Assembly.
In the context of the scandal involving the pardoned drug dealer, known as the "Petrich Escobar," Hristanov commented on the situation as follows:
- he believes we are witnessing a clash not so much between two camps, but rather a defensive reaction by the cabinet in support of Yotova against attacks from opposition forces in the National Assembly;
- he notes that, at the moment, there is insufficient information regarding the case itself;
- he states that the scale of the problem is larger, as such scandals also draw public attention to other controversial pardons.
In conclusion, Ivan Hristanov calls for full transparency regarding the presidential signature on pardon decrees, while also insisting that the members of the relevant commission be made publicly known.