Former Caretaker Minister for Fair Elections Tzitzelkov: I Will Not Quit CEC Public Council 2026

Balgarianovinite.com Former caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Fair Elections Stoil Tzitzelkov said on Sunday he will not resign from the Public Council with the Central Election Commission (CEC), speaking on bTV.
Tzitzelkov, who stepped down as deputy prime minister on Friday, said there was no legal or moral reason for him not to work on elections because he had been rehabilitated.
“These lawyers who can’t manage elections should at least understand this: there is absolutely no reason I shouldn’t work on elections,” he said.
In recent days, political groups circulated claims that Tzitzelkov had been arrested for marijuana use and for driving under the influence. He said that in 2011 he was caught driving under the influence, later received a suspended sentence and was subsequently rehabilitated. He apologized and said he was ashamed of the incident. On the marijuana allegation, he said that many years ago he and a friend were accused after a marijuana cigarette was found on the ground next to them, and that it was later established the quantity was 0.55 g.
Tzitzelkov also addressed a third allegation linked to an incident involving a woman in Ghana during elections there. He said this was in 2020, when strict security protocols applied to members of a European Commission mission tasked with safeguarding the integrity of the vote, to ensure foreign observers would not bring the coronavirus into the country. He said he inadvertently violated the rules after the mission ended and was given a “cooling-off period” applying only to fieldwork.
“I could continue to serve as an expert, and I did. I can continue to work for different institutions. There was no other person, no woman or girl,” he said, adding that he currently works for the European Commission as well.
“This should not be the focus of discussion. What should be discussed is my professional competence and what I can deliver,” Tzitzelkov said. He added that rehabilitation means he has no criminal record and his certificate of no criminal record is clean, but that he is being publicly smeared by people who, in his words, have “70 lawsuits on hold” against them and shout “Barcelona” and “Dwarfs”.
Tzitzelkov was referring to Barcelonagate, a nickname for a Bulgarian money-laundering investigation in which the name of GERB leader and former prime minister Boyko Borissov has been mentioned, and to the Eight Dwarfs case, shorthand for a high-profile scandal involving allegations of influence peddling in the judiciary and the takeover of businesses. Former Caretaker Minister for Fair Elections Tzitzelkov: I Will Not Quit CEC Public Council 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-02-22 20:15:02 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law