Yordan Petkov is a candidate for national representative and is in fourth place on the list of the BSP – United Left in the Second MIR Burgas. He is from Sozopol, 46 years old, married, father of two wonderful children. Orthodox Christian. He has two higher educations – a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in national security. For 5 years, he has been in the team of the mayor of Sozopol, Tihomir Yanakiev – director of the Culture, Tourism and Economic Activities Directorate.
- Mr. Petkov, why are you running for parliament?
- Because I want the Sozopol municipality to have its own representative in the Parliament. People throughout the settlement system know me. They have my phone and they can always call me and say, “Dancho, we need this and that,” or “Dancho, you’re wrong when you do this and that,” or the most pleasant for me, of course: “Dancho, thank you for a job well done.” I think that every small municipality should have its own representative in the National Assembly, because in Sofia they don’t know about our problems, they haven’t seen how the people in the village live, what their needs and dreams are. They are also not aware of what kind of struggle the mayors are leading in order to ensure a normal life for the people in these municipalities. The state seems to have left them to fend for themselves in most situations, with their budgets, which is overwhelming for any smaller municipality. For this, there, in Sofia, the voice of the people must be heard, because Bulgaria is not only the capital. I would like the state to have the same attitude towards all municipalities, regardless of who is the mayor and from which party he is. All must develop at the same pace.
- If so, perhaps you also have local causes to champion in Parliament?
- Of course. First, I must say that the BSP – United Left offers 100 solutions for the rapid development of Bulgaria. They are from all walks of life and affect all residents of the country. I will get back to them. I, as a representative of the municipality of Sozopol, have 4 personal causes that are important to the people here.
First, I will insist on the island of St. Kirik and Iulita” to be provided for the management of the municipality of Sozopol and with the assistance of the state to separate, develop and promote a center there to collect the rich cultural and historical heritage of the region. Exactly 100 years ago, the construction of the Fishing School began there. Now it lies in ruins. The state is doing nothing to change this situation. And there are rich archaeological excavations and artifacts from the first settlers of Apollonia from the 6th century BC are found. The island can become a great tourist destination.
My second priority is to insist that the state allocates targeted funds for the repair of roads between small settlements. Yes, they are from the municipal road network, but small municipalities do not have the necessary money for repairs, which have not been carried out for many years. I’ll give you an example. The budget of the municipality of Sozopol is BGN 38 million per year. Only the design of the repair of one road section of 6 km is BGN 100 thousand. The road network in the municipality of Sozopol is 80 km. and almost all roads are in need of repair. How should the municipality cope?
In third place – the water projects in the villages. Can you imagine that in the 21st century there are still villages without sewerage and treatment plant? Well, there is. I think that here too the state is indebted to the people who live there. Because this is also an overwhelming task for the municipalities. You know, these problems are related to the demographic crisis and the desolation of our villages. In our municipality, all the villages are beautiful, but there are not many people in them anymore. If the state has the good will to help create conditions – normal electricity supply, water supply, good roads and communications, I am sure that life will seethe again in these villages. The young people will return and revive the villages.
My fourth cause is finally passing the Wild Camping Ordinance. This is a problem that affects the entire Black Sea coast, as well as the mountainous regions. Currently, there is no regulation and everyone does what they want, and there is no control and regulation. Near Chernomorets, for example, every summer the unguarded bay of Vromos is filled with caravans. They park in the forest from February and leave in October. Their owners rest for 10-20 days and then rent them out. Who will explain to me if this is wild camping or gray business and who is liable and suffers damages if the forest catches fire or, God forbid, someone drowns. These people do not pay taxes and garbage collection fees, and throw their garbage in Chernomorets. It must be like that in other places too. There must be rules.
- Let’s go back to the 100 decisions of the BSP-United Left. What are they?
- The hundred decisions for the rapid development of Bulgaria are practically guidelines for how our country can and should get out of the pause we have been in for several years now. They are from the fields of regional development, legislation and judiciary, security and public order, foreign policy, social and demographic policy, health care, sports, education and science, economy, tax and fiscal policy, energy, agriculture, ecology, transport, tourism , culture.
Anyone can familiarize themselves with the specific proposals and I am sure they will agree that they are created by people with common sense, with competence and thought for each person. For us socialists, it is important to work for the good of every Bulgarian. We are the only ones offering a social program – for children, for mothers, for the elderly. How good a country is is judged by its care for these groups of people who are disadvantaged. We want children to be educated and protected, young families to be sure that they can work, earn and raise their children in the Motherland, and the elderly – that they will have a peaceful old age, without worrying about their bread and medicine, close to children and grandchildren.
- Why should the BSP- United Left be in the government?
- Because that is the only way we will be able to fulfill this ambitious program. In addition, it is important that the people who run the country have a connection with real life, listen to the local government, think about the people. I’m tired of watching party leaders bicker over the media like kids in kindergarten. If they cared about the people instead of measuring their egos, we would have a regular government by now, albeit with compromises on their part, instead of having 7 elections in three years. We, BSP – United Left, are a union of over 20 parties and what brings us together is our common cause – a good future for Bulgaria.
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