Police ran 119 special operations against election crimes across Bulgaria between 28 September and 13 October, the Interior Ministry said. For the 25 October presidential and vice-presidential election, the ministry has so far seen no rise in so-called vote buying.
The ministry's open hotline has received 34 reports of breaches of election rules, 31 of them about vote buying. Four pre-trial proceedings have been opened, one of them fast-track and three under the general procedure.
The raids follow an approved plan. They are led by the Sofia city police directorate and the regional police directorates, with teams from the Gendarmerie, Special Operations and Counter-Terrorism Directorate also taking part. Officers look for and stop crimes against citizens' political rights and breaches of election law, including those under articles 167 to 169g of the Criminal Code.
An operational headquarters at the ministry is coordinating preparations for the vote. Its tasks include fighting crimes against political rights, keeping public order and ensuring fire safety.
The headquarters works to a set plan and is in constant contact with the Central Election Commission, the prosecutor's office, the State Agency for National Security (DANS) and other competent bodies. Information groups set up in the main and regional Interior Ministry directorates collect data on the election process.
By 13 October, officers had also drawn up 373 warning protocols under article 65 of the Interior Ministry Act.