Breaking News: DPS holds Extraordinary Conference; Top Figures Clash over Party Reforms
Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, is hosting the XII National Conference of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) today, convened unprecedentedly by the party’s leader, Delyan Peevski. The event is expected to bring pivotal changes to the party’s constitution, such as the removal of the honorary chair position previously held by Ahmed Dogan.
In light of these developments, MEP Ilhan Kyuchuk has taken to Facebook via DPS Presscenter to express his sentiments. He reflects on December 22, 1989, when Ahmed Dogan, fresh out of prison, co-founded the Committee for National Reconciliation at Sofia University. Kyuchuk laments that "35 years later, the parasitic power-hungry PeevskyAdapterName is not only hijacking the party but also the civil society, dismantling solidarity within DPS."
Kyuchuk asserts that Peevski is fragmenting the party’s structure with administrative and power plays, contradicting democratic principles. He stresses that Ahmed Dogan’s DPS was a symbol of resistance against division, evocatively quoting "No pasarán!"
The conference unfolds amidst a recent court decision from Friday, in which the Sofia City Court refused to register changes to DPS’s leadership, including the exclusion of key figures like Delyan Peevski and his loyalists.
In response to the event, DPS co-chair Джевдет Чакъров (Jevdet Chakarov) has released a statement, denouncing the conference’s legitimacy. He sees Peevski’s actions as another attempted coup, not just on DPS, but on Bulgaria’s entire political system. Chakarov, who was ousted from the party along with the other authentic DPS leadership, lambasts the event for its lack of international representation, with no delegates from EU countries, NATO, ALDE, Renew Europe, Liberal International, or LIBSEN.
Chakarov emphasizes that the removal of honorary chair Ahmed Dogan from the charter signifies the eradication of DPS’s fundamental values and strategic objectives. He calls on authentic DPS members to continue pursuing their cause of protecting rights, freedoms, democracy, and national sovereignty. He reiterates their commitment to liberal values and Euro-Atlantic orientation.
