Bulgaria Police Clear Anti-gov't Blockades

Sofia, Aug 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Aug, 2020 ) :Bulgarian police on Friday cleared traffic blockades set up by protesters in Sofia and other cities for the past week to demand the resignation of the government over corruption, the interior ministry said.

The protesters had occupied three major crossroads in downtown Sofia since July 29 and August 1 as part of the biggest protest wave in years in the EU's poorest country.

Blockades had also been set up in the cities of Varna and Plovdiv.

But the interior ministry issued a short statement, saying that "traffic was resumed at all crossroads that had been blocked." Police said that no force was used and 12 protesters were detained briefly but later released.

One of the protest organisers, Nikolay Hadjigenov, vowed to "set the blockades again but this time in the whole country", but police said that no such action would be allowed in future.

Thousands have rallied every evening in Sofia and other cities for a month now calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's conservative cabinet.

They accuse both the government and the chief prosecutor of protectionism and dependence on behind-the-scenes oligarchs.

Borisov suggested Wednesday he might take a back seat as premier to keep his cabinet in power until its mandate expires in March 2021.

But on Thursday, a meeting of the government coalition decided that Borisov should remain at the helm.

Polls this week showed severely dented support for Borisov and his conservative GERB party.

Thirteen years after joining the EU, Bulgaria remains its poorest and most graft-ridden member, according to Transparency International's corruption perception index.

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