The regional leader of DPS–DPS in Shumen, Turhan Karakash, summarized the widespread dissatisfaction among Dogan supporters about what is happening within the governing coalition of GERB–BSP–ITN, which DPS–DPS (supporters of Ahmed Dogan) has backed since its inception.
The source of tension among Dogan supporters is the ongoing appointment of Peevski’s activists to high and influential positions in the Shumen region, with direct support from GERB and BSP.
Already a month ago, the regional leadership of DPS–DPS prepared a declaration to the national party council, demanding immediate measures to protect their activists.
“Our members, many of whom are founders of DPS in the Shumen region, have been persecuted, threatened, and dismissed during the election campaign because of their loyalty to the party and to the honorary leader Ahmed Dogan. They were targeted precisely by the mayors and activists of Peevski, who still hold their positions and even receive new government posts in the region. Our people had doubts about supporting the coalition of GERB, BSP, and ITN, but they accepted it based on assurances from the party leadership that this would limit Peevski’s influence in politics and society. But in the Shumen region, we see nothing of the sort; quite the opposite. Peevski’s people continue to receive posts and dominate all sectors, and they keep oppressing our activists. We no longer know how to explain what’s happening,” said Turhan Karakash, the head of DPS in Shumen, in the declaration.
He warned that the party risks losing its remaining supporters because no one is defending them. However, the document was not publicly announced, with the idea that the relationship within the coalition would eventually be sorted out.
According to DPS–DPS, Peevski continues to appoint his loyalists to influential positions in the Shumen region. Turhan Karakash points out several such appointments, including Katya Ivanova as the new regional governor of Shumen, Sejgan Akif as the new director of the National Insurance Institute (NII) in Shumen, Milena Tatarjijska as the new member of the Board of Managers of the State Forests Enterprise (SFE), Kadir Hasan as the new financial controller of the Forest Department in Vrbitsa, and Sejgan Aliyeva as the new deputy mayor of Novi Pazar municipality.
GERB handed over NII–Shumen to a Peevski-backed municipal leader
The appointment of Sejgan Akif as director of NII–Shumen caused widespread outrage among citizens and on social media. In February, Akif, who is the municipal chairperson of DPS–Nouveau Départ in Hitrino, won the competition for head of the insurance institute in Shumen. The scandalous aspect was that the active supporter of Peevski, who studied social pedagogy in Shumen and has no work experience in the NII system, defeated a candidate with solid professional qualifications—lawyer Ivaylo Iliev, a municipal councilor from GERB, who worked for 12 years at NII–Shumen, rising from a regular expert to sector head. Iliev was also deputy regional governor of Shumen and chairman of the district election commission for several parliamentary elections.
Despite the scandal and strong opposition from the local GERB structure, the leadership of the National Insurance Institute (NOI) appointed Peevski’s supporter as the director of the office in Shumen, crushing the professional from GERB. Local GERB members were furious, especially since the head of NOI is an appointee from their own quota. “Our people crushed our professional because of Peevski’s man,” complained GERB activists, who found it hard to believe such a development until the last moment. However, Sejgan Akif has now officially been appointed as the head of NOI–Shumen.
BSP gave a deputy mayor position to a DPS technical secretary
The municipality of Novi Pazar, governed by BSP, recently appointed the current technical secretary of the regional DPS leadership, Sejgan Aliyeva, as deputy mayor. According to Karakash, she transitioned to Peevski’s faction after the party’s split.
“Aliyeva has been working as the secretary of the regional DPS leadership for 10 years, but after the split, she switched to Peevski. Even in the recent partial elections for the mayor of Stoyan Mikhaylovski village, she was authorized by Peevski to represent the party at consultations with the municipal mayor,” said Turhan Karakash, the regional chairman of DPS–Dogan.
According to the Novi Pazar municipality, Sejgan Aliyeva is a professional with 12 years of experience in the local administration, having worked from 2000 to 2012. From 2012 to 2015, she worked on a project at the Shumen Plateau Nature Park, and afterward, served as a permanent secretary of the regional DPS council. Currently, Aliyeva holds the portfolio “Local Taxes and Fees, Economic Development, Public Order and Security” in Novi Pazar.
When asked why a person linked to Peevski was appointed as deputy mayor and whether this aligns with the official party line of BSP, BSP regional chairman Ivan Ganchev said that in Novi Pazar “they do not categorize staff by political parties.” “We are a small municipality; we do not divide people by party, but by the suitability of the candidates,” Ganchev explained. He also noted that almost all decisions are made unanimously in the municipal council, indicating no division there. Ganchev added that Aliyeva’s appointment was a decision made by the new mayor, Georgi Georgiev, who was re-elected for a second term with BSP support. “We don’t know which DPS from which faction she belongs to,” Ganchev said, which is quite strange for a small town like Novi Pazar, where everyone knows each other.
DPS–DPS: We’re not just pressing buttons!
These last two appointments, made reportedly by coalition partners GERB and BSP, have ignited the frustration of supporters of Peevski in Shumen.
“Within our ranks, there is already a great deal of tension. Everyone is asking me why we are in this coalition, as appointments of Peevski’s people continue everywhere, and no one takes our opinion into account,” said Turhan Karakash. He emphasized that the Shumen structure is calling for exit from the governing coalition.
“We can’t just have our 19 MPs pressing the voting button, while they (GERB–BSP–ITN) are doing their shady deals! It simply can’t happen! We no longer want to be their shield or protect them. If they are openly cozying up with Peevski, at least the people should see what the real ruling coalition is,” declared the leader of Dogan supporters in Shumen.
Meanwhile, tensions are mounting at the national level. Today, GERB leader Boyko Borissov announced that Dogan’s people will not receive appointments in the second echelon and declared readiness to form a minority government if the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS–Dogan) withdraws its support for the coalition. His statement was in response to yesterday’s serious shake-up in the coalition, triggered by a declaration from DPS–Dogan, in which supporters of Dogan announced that there is a secret alliance between GERB–BSP–ITN and Peevski.
Peevski himself, who supposedly is in opposition and predicted the end of the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov, claiming he wants early elections, surprisingly announced today that a government will be formed. After saving the budget yesterday, it’s now clear that Peevski will also be “saving” the government if DPS–Dogan withdraws its support.
At the same time, the ruling parties GERB–BSP–ITN loudly attacked Dogan supporters with accusations that they are seeking positions in the administration and regulatory bodies. “How shameless! They are distributing all positions among themselves and with Peevski’s people. We haven’t received a single place in Shumen, yet they blame us for wanting posts!” complained the leader of Dogan supporters in Shumen. He summarized: there’s no point in remaining in such a coalition!
