Maria Andonova is the keeper of the facility “Isida” where the aid for the flood victims in Dobrich is being stored. It is organized by volunteers from the Facebook group “Helping Dobrich”.
Andonova is also one of the two-people from the “citizens’ quota” in the Public Council of the Municipality of Dobrich that prepares the criteria and the lists of victims to receive aid. The Public Council was appointed by Mayor Detelina Nikolova on July 7, 2014. A total of 449,000 levs have been distributed in recent days by the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC). The municipality is expected to allocate another 442,500 thousand levs from the Foundation “Aid for Charities in Bulgaria”.
According to donors from “Helping Dobrich”, Andonova has not been authorized to represent them, and has been appointed under vague criteria. The same applies to the other representative of the citizens’ quota – Beyadin Kadir, who is supposed to work for injured people. One criterion is nevertheless clear…
Being affiliated with the Citizen for European Development of Bulgaria party (GERB)
In addition to the City Hall being run by GERB, Maria Andonova has chaired the Central Electoral Commission for GERB and Beyadin Kadir does not hide his bias for GERB in an interview for Belezhnik.bg:
“I am really a partisan of GERB. I have a structure. We have about 103 or 104 people who support GERB.”
The picture on the site shows his picturesque home, which was not particularly damaged by the floods.
“I met Beyadin Kadir in the Public Council. I did not know who he was and what he was doing. My inclusion was incidental, on the proposal of Kaloyan Kostadinov. It has no connection with my membership in GERB. I hold no post in GERB’s structures; I am simply a supporter and that has nothing to do with the flooding. Everything escalated from the group “Helping Dobrich” and I do not want to comment on why. There was no masterminding; it all happened accidentally, without foreordained plans,” this is how Maria Andonova commented before Bivol the fact that both civil society representatives are connected with GERB.
The lists of the municipality, however, contains double and triple entries of “the same families, some of whom have not even been affected by the floods,” insists Iva Slavkova, who has filed a complaint with the Ombudsman because of doubts about the lack of transparency in the distribution of donations. “Aid has been systematically shifted contradictory to the will of the donor and personal donations are even given away to other people,” she resents.
“There is no such option. We went on location with a BRC representative to see the properties. 212 out a total of 912 applications were eliminated because they were filed by companies or individuals with several properties,” is how Maria Andonova denied the accusations.
The Dobrich City Hall said they don’t have the recent Red Cross list for distribution of aid. The Foundation “Aid for Charities in Bulgaria” has wired 442,500 levs to the municipality. A list has been sent for consultation and coordination with the Foundation, and after that it will be published, assured the press office.
Bivol also expects comment from the Mayor of Dobrich Detelina Nikolova (GERB) on the criteria, according to which citizens’ representatives have been selected for the Public Council, and the fact that both are activists of GERB.
***
If you find this article useful, support our work with a small donation.
Pay a Bivol Tax!
We will highly appreciate if you decide to support us with monthly donations keeping the option Monthly
IBAN: BG27 ESPY 4004 0065 0626 02
BIC: ESPYBGS1
Титуляр/Account Holder: Bivol EOOD
- Powerful US Lobbyist Aids Businesses Linked to Sanctioned Bulgarian Lawmaker, Has Joint Company with Notorious Attorney - 8 January 2022
- Interview for FAKTI.bg
Assen Yordanov: If a lustration law had been passed, Bulgaria would not be in this state
- 19 November 2021 - After Peevski, the Magnitsky Act must target his puppeteers. #LUSTRATION is crucial! - 8 June 2021
This post is also available in: Bulgarian
