/ world today news/ GERB keeps the problems in the Metropolitan Municipality “on logs”, instead of solving them, the leader of the Metropolitan Socialists is categorical. The referendum is a democratic right of the citizens and it is time to allow them to exercise it in the Mladost region, commented Kaloyan Pargov.
Kaloyan Pargov is the leader of the capital’s socialists, a member of the BSP’s Executive Bureau and chairman of the BSP’s Left Bulgaria group in the Capital’s municipal council. He is the Deputy Chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee and the Transport Committee. After the pause in the work of the municipal councilors due to the campaign for the early parliamentary elections, currently on the agenda in Sofia are the dispute on whether to be admitted or not, the referendum in the “Mladost” district, the repair of “Graf Ignatiev” street and the future of the book market on the square “Slaveykov”, as well as the expected decision of the Supreme Administrative Court on the legality of the 60% increase in the price of a single ticket for public transport. Kaloyan Pargov spoke about these topics in an interview for “Voices”
– Mr. Pargov, is there an effect on the Municipality of Sofia from the ordinance adopted last year, which increased the price of a single ticket for public transport by 60%?
– Until now, it is still not clear what the effect of this regulation is. March is the month in which the balance sheets of commercial companies, including municipal ones, are drawn up every year. So we now await with great interest to see what these reports will show.
I hope that the reports of the Center for Urban Mobility will be made public and citizens will have the opportunity to see the effect of last year’s decision of the authorities in the Metropolitan Municipality to increase the price of the ticket for public transport by 60%.
– Do you think that the fight against freebies was successful after the ticket price increase last year?
– The gratuity is a matter of control, not the price of the ticket. There were always freebies, regardless of the ticket price. It even seems to me that at a price of 1.60 they have increased. We will see in the reports if the statements of the authorities in the Capital Municipality, that the higher price of the single ticket will motivate citizens to use subscription cards and thus the free ticket will be reduced, are true.
I think that the psychology of the gratis is a little different and with such wishes we cannot deal with this problem. The only chance for this is strict control.
– Citizens filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Municipality for the 60% increase in the ticket price and the Administrative Court in Sofia annulled the ordinance. Now the Court of Appeals has yet to rule, after the Municipality of Sofia appealed…
– After the long examination of citizens’ complaints, the Administrative Court ruled that the proposal to increase the price of the single ticket for urban transport was unfounded and canceled the regulation.
The managers of SO from GERB decided to appeal. My colleagues from the BSP Left Bulgaria group in SOS were categorically against this appeal. During the session where we discussed this issue, we took the position that we should listen to the voice of the citizens. GERB did not comply with our appeals and filed a complaint with the Supreme Court. Now we await the decision. I am convinced that the arguments with which citizens attack this ordinance in court are fair and valid.
– What happens if the Supreme Court confirms the decision of the lower instance?
– Within the next month or two, the Metropolitan Municipal Council must adopt a new ordinance, in which all orders from the court will be implemented. And above all, we will have to return the old price of a single ticket for public transport of one lev. This also applies to fines, which increase in proportion to the price of the single ticket.
– Is there a mechanism for citizens to be compensated for the time they bought an expensive ticket?
– There are disputes on this matter. But there is no mechanism to compensate citizens. There is an interpretative decision by YOU on this matter.
– At the moment there is another “hot” topic in Sofia – that of the referendum in the “Mladost” region. Will there be a referendum or not?
– During the committee meetings last week, together with the municipal councilors from BSP Left Bulgaria, we voted “For” the referendum. Referendum is a right of citizens given to them by democracy and they can take advantage of it.
After the well-founded protests of citizens in “Mladost” led to the resignation of the acting mayor from GERB, Dr. Tsveta Avdzhieva, last fall, and one of their representatives was elected in her place, I believe that we have every reason to allow a referendum to be held. This is how we will see and hear the opinion of all citizens living in Mladost.
– But property owners and investors are of the opposite opinion.
– Of course. Therefore, in a purely democratic way, let us take into account the opinion of the citizens and then let the Municipal Council take the most accurate decisions on these issues. It may turn out that people’s opinion is different and construction in the area will be allowed, but under certain parameters, in certain places, under certain conditions.
It is certainly time for people to decide for themselves what the environment in which they live in should look like. Because now others are deciding and they apparently don’t like it.
– The thesis of the managers from GERB is that the claims that would be brought by property owners and investors in the event of a moratorium on construction in “Mladost” will be for huge sums that cannot be paid by the Metropolitan Municipality.
– In this situation, the municipality and the state in general are in culpable failure to fulfill basic rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria. Besides, he can’t take sides in the argument.
I claim that the Metropolitan Municipality and the state should seek the most correct solution to these problems, taking into account the interests of all citizens, as well as the municipality itself. Such problems as those in “Mladost” are found throughout Sofia. And the Metropolitan Municipality must look for a way to resolve them. It all depends on her.
And the managers in the SO have left these problems “on the rocks” with the argument that there is not enough money to deal with them. This is the main problem – leaving “logs” or sweeping problems under the carpet.
– Until now, the rulers of GERB in Sofia have successfully avoided referendums. How do you explain this fact?
– They are obviously afraid of the assessment they will receive from the citizens. That’s why they don’t allow direct democracy. They simply won’t like the results of allowing a referendum. And the evaluation they received in the partial local elections for mayor in “Mladost” is still fresh. She was very weak for their management in Sofia.
– In recent days, the question of the idea of removing the book market on Slaveykov Square has also become relevant.
– The book market on Slaveykov Square is one of the emblematic places in Sofia. It is not just a market, it is a cultural center. There is also the City Library and the Municipal Theater “Vazrazhdane”… Of course, no one likes its current state – stalls and books in cardboard boxes made of bananas.
But the idea of the renovation is exactly this – to build a modern infrastructure that includes a new vision of the book market and a new attitude to the book. Let’s keep the Slaveykov book market, but let’s show respect for the book with it. And let this place remain the familiar cultural center, but more beautiful, more comfortable and more cozy for the citizens and guests of Sofia. This is the position that, together with the municipal councilors from BSP Left Bulgaria, we will firmly defend at the session of the SOS on Thursday.
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