Organization OMO Ilinden – Pirin facing sentence for document fraud?

Organization OMO Ilinden – Pirin facing sentence for document fraud?

6 April 2007 | 12:28 | FOCUS News Agency Sofia.

 The Bulgarian political organization VMRO will report to the Prosecutor’s office about violations, made by the unregistered organization OMO Ilinden – Pirin, the leader of VMRO Krasimir Karakachanov said in an interview for FOCUS News Agency. ‘Stoyko Stoykov’s insolence has passed any boundaries with his constant abuse of Bulgaria and we have decided to report to the Prosecutor’s office about the criminal activity of the unregistered OMO Ilinden’, Karakachanov said. On November 15 2006 the Prosecutor’s office in Sofia has requested the National Police service in Bulgaria to carry out an additional check concerning the registration of OMO Ilinden – Pirin.

The check has been carried out on the territories of the regions of Blagoevgrad, Varna, Pleven, Shumen, Plovdiv, Pazadrdzhik, Sofia, etc.

The check revealed that from a total of 5,800 signatures, submitted by OMO Ilinden – Pirin:

1,168 persons never gave their permission to be included as members of this party;

158 persons do not live on the address noted in the lists;

2 persons are minors;

5 persons are registered as mentally ill;

 28 persons are members of other parties;

48 persons have been residing abroad at the time the lists were prepared;

13 persons have died.

The information has been submitted to the Prosecutor’s office. OMO Ilinden – PIRIN is a non-government organization, which declares itself as an organization, which’s aim is to protect the rights, language and the nationality of people, living in Bulgaria, who define themselves as Macedonians. It was registered as a political party in 1999. At the local elections in 1999, OMO Ilinden – PIRIN won two mayor’s offices in villages in Bulgaria. On February 2000 it was declared anti-constitutional by the Constitutional court in Bulgaria and banned from participation at political elections. On June 25, 2006 OMO Ilinden – PIRIN held a founding meeting in the town of Gotse Delchev. At that meeting Stoyko Stoykov was elected Chairman of the party. Journalists were not allowed to attend the meeting. According to the Bulgarian laws, in order to register a political party, it must submit 5,000 signatures in three months following its founding meeting. One day before the deadline, information appears, according to which representatives of OMO Ilinden – PIRIN were offering money to people in the Roma areas of villages to sign the subscription. On October 31st, the court refused registration of the party, as it becomes clear that 116 declarations for the founding of the party were filled by 25 persons – several declarations have been filled by one person.