Photo: Facebook, Thracian University
On Thursday, July 9, the General Assembly of Trakia University in Stara Zagora was scheduled to elect a rector to complete the mandate of Prof. Dobri Yarkov, who retired upon reaching the pension age a month earlier and vacated the position.
Although Prof. Yarkov’s actions suggested he wished to retain the rector position and seemed to hope for support, he did not receive it.
Part of the reasons Yarkov was not kept in office likely include his authoritarian leadership style and numerous examples of abuse of power and public funds. Most notably, he was accused of plagiarism by Associate Professor Lazarin Lazarov, former dean of the Veterinary Medicine Faculty, whom Yarkov dismissed disciplinarily for insubordination on grounds later found unsustainable in court.
The rector position was won by Prof. Miroslav Karabaliev from the Medical Faculty. He was elected after a runoff with 245 votes against 119 for the acting rector Prof. Rumen Binev. Prof. Karabaliev will complete the current rector mandate until 2027.
The election revealed internal university conflicts and a desire for change after a contentious period under Prof. Yarkov’s leadership. Prof. Karabaliev emphasized priorities such as promoting scientific activity, modern educational technologies, international cooperation, and improving academic and social conditions for students and staff.
This change marked a notable shift in Trakia University’s governance, reflecting broader calls for transparency and reform in academic institutions.
The District Court in Stara Zagora is expected within days to confirm or overturn the first-instance ruling reinstating Associate Professor Lazarov as dean and lecturer at the university. The acting rector, Prof. Rumen Binev, appointed by the Minister of Education, told “Za Istinata” that he will comply with the court’s decision, whatever it may be.
This would mean that if the District Court rules in favor of Associate Professor Lazarov, he should be reinstated as dean, even though the faculty is currently led by someone else.
As for the candidates for the vacant rector position, four university lecturers have submitted applications for the competition. All are part of the rectorate leadership of the university during both the previous and current mandates of Prof. Yarkov, which was prematurely terminated.The District Court in Stara Zagora is expected within days to confirm or overturn the first-instance decision to reinstate Associate Professor Lazarov as dean and lecturer at the university. The acting rector, Prof. Rumen Binev, appointed by the Minister of Education, told “Za Istinata” that he will follow the court’s decision, whatever it may be.
This would mean that if the court rules in favor of Associate Professor Lazarov, he should be reinstated as dean, even though the faculty is currently led by someone else.
Regarding the candidates for the vacant rector position, four university lecturers have submitted applications for the competition. All of them have been part of the rector’s office during both the previous and current mandates of Prof. Yarkov, which was terminated early.
Prof. Dr. Rumen Binev has served two terms as vice-rector for administrative and economic affairs. He is a lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, where he previously headed the Department of Internal Non-communicable Diseases.
Prof. Dr. Neli Grozeva is vice-rector for academic and informational activities during both terms of Dobri Yarkov and is part of the academic staff at the Faculty of Agriculture.
Prof. Boryana Parashkeva has been vice-rector for quality, accreditation, and postgraduate qualification for two years and heads the Department of Social Medicine and Health Management.
Prof. Miroslav Karabaliev earned a doctorate in biophysics at Sofia University. At Trakia University, he is the head of the Department of Medical Physics, Biophysics, Radiology, and Radiology at the Medical Faculty. He was vice-rector during Dobri Yarkov’s first term, who later dismissed him and replaced him with a favorite.
Information blackout
The upcoming election for the new rector was announced on the official website of Trakia University with a brief message published on June 26 by Prof. Dr. Dimitar Petkov, chairman of the General Assembly of the institution. It stated that, at the request of the rector (still Prof. Dobri Yarkov at that date), a General Assembly meeting was called with two agenda items:
Item one – Partial election of the rector of Trakia University – Stara Zagora to complete the 2023–2027 mandate.
Item two – Miscellaneous.
After the Commission reviewed the candidates’ documents and determined that all four met the participation conditions, it informed each candidate personally but did not publish their names on the university’s website.
According to representatives of the academic community, this violates the university’s Rules of Procedure.
The announcement was read by only 128 people in 10 days, although the General Assembly has 470 members.
Short news texts about the upcoming rector election appeared on several regional websites, but the candidates were “advised” by the acting rector, Prof. Binev, to refrain from media appearances before the General Assembly meeting on July 9.
Pressure and manipulation
The preparation time for the General Assembly and the election of the new rector, who must complete the current mandate until 2027, was very short—less than a month. However, it was long enough for “processing” the academic staff, according to some members who wished to remain anonymous.
Unexpectedly, employees of the Stara Zagora municipality, deeply concerned about who will lead Trakia University for the next two years, started calling their acquaintances and friends among the university’s lecturers, advising them whom to support.
Similarly, employees of the municipalities of Yambol and Haskovo, where Trakia University has branches, also became active in this manner.
“Za Istinata” learned this from its sources, who were surprised by the blatant interference in the academic autonomy of the university.
In a phone conversation, Emil Hristov—a former deputy speaker of Parliament, two-term chairman of the Stara Zagora Municipal Council, and currently a municipal councilor from GERB—expressed his bewilderment about these facts. However, he did not hide that he himself had shared with his close contacts at the university his favorite candidate and tried to persuade them that it would be good if that candidate won the contest.
According to Hristov, it would be beneficial for both the university and the local government if there is good partnership between them. Why he thinks such a relationship would not be possible if another candidate wins is another question.
Most logically, the local authorities’ interest in the rector election is due to the university’s public procurement contracts, which annually range between 20 and 30 million leva and could be directed to companies affiliated with GERB and DPS-New Start.
Photo for “career advancement”
It is especially concerning that some participants in the election were offered to photograph their ballot papers in exchange for promises of career advancement.
It is unknown whether the 70 students participating in the General Assembly were tempted in one way or another. However, it is remembered how years ago they received SMS messages with the name of the “right” candidate. Nowadays, this approach is unlikely to be repeated as it is risky—just one student speaking out could compromise the election.
A kind of soft pressure could also be interpreted from a statement by the Regional College of the Bulgarian Medical Association, which expressed support for one of the rector candidates.
Is the election predetermined?
Seats in the General Assembly are calculated by a special mathematical formula. Roughly, 75% are for the academic staff, of which 25% are for assistants and non-habilitated lecturers. Students hold 15%.
Given the signals and suspicions of pressure and attempts to manipulate General Assembly members, it would be best for people to fill out their ballots in the hall rather than in a secluded room.
This would ensure the vote remains secret while removing the possibility of photographing ballots, which could serve as proof that the election is not predetermined.
If Minister Krasimir Valchev wanted the academic community at Trakia University to choose the best rector among the candidates, he could have appointed an interim rector who was not previously part of Prof. Dobri Yarkov’s team and who is over 63 years old, thus barring them from participating in the competition. This would have cleared the way for a genuine contest.
In the current case, Prof. Rumen Binev is not on equal footing with his colleagues and, even if legally there is no conflict of interest, he lacks the moral grounds to participate in the election. Especially since, in an interview with Radio Stara Zagora immediately after his appointment by the Minister of Education and Science as acting rector, he stated:
“I would not miss the chance to use the support of the local authorities and the ministry for my candidacy.”
Later, he admitted in an interview with “Za Istinata” that this statement was a mistake. Whether it was a mistake or a moment of honesty will become clear soon.
