12 Friday International Friday, July 9, 2021 Bulgaria rocked by corruption claims ahead of election ‘We knew something was wrong, now we see the full size’ of the problem SOFIA: From kidney transplants for rich for- He also complained that state agencies allied to eigners at state hospitals to big companies tap- the previous administration have been “trying to ping government loans meant for smaller firms, sabotage” the corruption probes. graft in Bulgaria is outraging citizens afresh, a Like the state-owned development bank that year on from huge anti-corruption protests. The refused to give information about its loans, or the scores of examples, revealed in daily press con- chiefs of the national security and surveillance ferences by interim Prime Minister Stefan agencies who took lengthy leave to dodge an- Yanev’s administration, have confirmed most of swering requests. And in the case of the Sofia the allegations from those who took to the hospital where wealthy visitors from Israel, streets, with ramifications for Sunday’s snap par- Japan and Oman were given kidney transplants liamentary election. from live donors, the head even challenged his Yanev was appointed after an inconclusive sacking in court, Yanev said. April 4 general election that saw three-time pre- According to political analyst Evgeniy mier Boyko Borisov come out first but unable to Daynov this is part of a “parallel authority” es- find partners to govern. Though primarily tasked tablished and entrenched by Borisov that was with organising the new vote, the interim gov- now trying to subvert the efforts of Yanev’s ad- ernment has also set out to make thorough ministration. checks of Borisov’s almost 10 years in office. Yanev says these efforts are a bid to answer ‘Boiling point’ SOFIA : A woman with her child waits on a bus station near campaign posters in Sofia yesterday, ahead of the parlia- protesters’ demands for transparency and sus- On top of the scandals within the country, the mentary elections. Bulgaria holds snap parliamentary elections Sunday after failing to form a government after the last picions about massive graft. Borisov says they’re US Treasury earlier this month blacklisted sev- vote in the spring 2021. —AFP part of a political witch hunt by his bitter foe, eral prominent Bulgarians, including notorious President Rumen Radev, who appointed Yanev’s lawmaker and power broker Delyan Peevski. He administration. Either way, the accusations are was one of six individuals, along with fugitive officials implicated in corruption or human rights Union, Bulgaria remains the bloc’s most graft- having an impact as public opinion appears to gambling tycoon Vasil Bojkov, who were added abuses. “This is a sign that corruption in Bulgaria prone member, according to Transparency In- be shifting away from Borisov’s GERB party. to the US’s sanctions list due to “their extensive has reached a boiling point... that state capture ternational’s most recent Corruption roles in corruption”. has reached an extent that can no longer be tol- Perception Index. The group’s Global Corrup- Parallel authority’ The move was described by the Treasury as erated,” Vessela Cherneva from the European tion Barometer published last month showed “We always knew something was wrong, now “the single largest action targeting corruption to Council on Foreign Relations think-tank told the that 48 percent of Bulgarians polled late last we see the full size” of the problem, Yanev said date” under the Magnitsky Act, a law under TV+ television station. year thought that corruption had increased in in an interview last week with public BNR radio. which Washington punishes foreign government Fourteen years after joining the European the previous 12 months. — AFP Saudi prince sees Independence supporter voted Blinken in low-key in as president of New Caledonia US reception NOUMEA: A New Caledonia independ- donian government for the first time since ence supporter was voted in as president the Noumea Accord. WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense of the French Pacific territory yesterday, But five months of political deadlock fol- minister met Wednesday with Secretary of State just months ahead of a third and final ref- lowed, as the two pro-independence par- Antony Blinken on a low-key visit to Washington erendum on a breakaway. Louis Mapou, 62, ties on the executive battled over who focused partly on Yemen as the United States said it was “an honour and a privilege” to should take the role of president. French US Secretary of State Antony Blinken takes a greater distance with its ally. take up the position. It is the first time a overseas territories minister Sebastien Khalid bin Salman-the younger brother of supporter of independence has held the Lecornu congratulated Mapou and invited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -was the statement said. role since the “Noumea Accord”, a de- him to meet soon to discuss, among other highest-ranking visitor from the kingdom to visit The prince also met Tuesday with Jake Sullivan, colonisation plan signed in 1998 that things, the “structural difficulties of New Washington since President Joe Biden took office. Biden’s national security adviser, who discussed granted the archipelago autonomy. Caledonian public finances” — a reference The State Department said the prince met sen- the “US commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend That agreement ended a deadly conflict to the territory’s budgetary crisis. ior State Department officials Victoria Nuland and its territory as it faces attacks from Iranian- between the mostly pro-independence in- New Caledonia has been under French Derek Chollet and that Blinken participated in only aligned groups,” the White House said. digenous Kanak population and the de- control for almost 170 years, during which part of the meeting-similar to Prince Khalid’s re- As Crown Prince Mohammed retains the title scendants of European settlers. It also it served as a penal colony for criminals ception a day earlier at the Pentagon. of defense minister for himself, it would not be allowed for up to three independence votes and political prisoners, an Allied military Blinken spoke with the prince about “efforts to a breach of protocol for Prince Khalid, his by 2022 if requested by at least a third of base in World War II and a source of com- achieve a comprehensive, nationwide ceasefire deputy, to lack full-fledged meetings with cab- the local legislature, the third of which will modities, notably nickel. France, which is and transition to a political process in Yemen,” inet members. be held in December. more than 16,000 kilometres (10,000 where Huthi rebels have mounted a deadly offen- But the lateness of the trip also reflects a hard- The first, in 2018, saw 57 percent vote miles) away from the territory, subsidises sive, the State Department said in a statement. ening of US attitudes toward Saudi Arabia under to remain part of France, but a second in New Caledonia with around 1.5 billion The group also discussed “the need for eco- Biden, who took office vowing to end the carte October 2020 saw that share decrease to euros ($1.75 billion) every year, the equiv- nomic reform and humanitarian relief for the blanche to the kingdom granted by his predeces- 53 percent. Pro-independence leaders this alent of more than 15 percent of the terri- Lebanese people and other key bilateral issues, sor Donald Trump, who visited Riyadh on his first year gained a majority in the New Cale- tory’s gross domestic product. — AFP including human rights,” a State Department foreign trip. —AFP.