Fees For Votes In Bulgaria Today

Well the topic has to be the electon that took place today. Galia has just finished her day as an official making sure all votes are made legally, but that is impossible. Many Bulgarians will make a little money out of today's election. Most are so disaffected with the corriuption, lies and lack of trust of any politician that they really couldn't give a damn who wins. So they vote for a little fee. This is hard to detect as it is part of the condition to keep quiet about it. I find this quite strange as voting is done in secret when marking the X, therefore there is no prove that the fee made for a certain political party is given as this is from a point of trust from the paid voter. If I was in a position to get a fee for a vote, I'd strongly consider taking the money and voting for another party! It all stinks anyway.

Numerous vote-buying allegations have already marred the electoral campaign, prompting the interior ministry to provide reinforced police presence in regions where the practice is suspected to occur.

Political parties in the poorest European Union state have been accusing each other of offering money, food and other basic commodities to mainly poor communities and minorities, such as the Roma people, in exchange for votes.

Police and the national security agency said they had launched a campaign across the Balkan country to prevent vote buying and made at least five arrests so far.

Police confiscated hundreds of identity cards, lists of names, computers and cash.

The non-government group, Union for Business Initiative, said earlier this week that drug dealers offered free drugs in Bulgaria’s second biggest city of Plovdiv in return for votes, while police were investigating a case in the city of Pazardzhik of Roma people having their overdue water bills paid.

In an address to the nation, Sergei Stanishev, the prime minister, called on Bulgarians not to sell their votes and warned politicians, parties and vote buyers they would be punished if found guilty.

“These disgusting practices inflict terrible scars on our democracy. But the most scary thing is that in return for a pathetically small amount of money, you put your own future and that of your children and families at stake,” Stanishev said.

“I have given categorical instructions to police and the national security agency to … send to court everyone who takes part in this crime.”

In April, parliament doubled the maximum jail term to six years for those who organise vote-buying schemes and five years for vote buyers themselves.

Source: www.bythefault.com/
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