93 percent of all people who took part in the local referendum voted against

With an overwhelming majority, the people from Trun municipality rejected the proposal for future gold mining in the area, indicate the results of the local referendum held yesterday. A total of 1,935 voted against and only 125 for, Municipal Election Commission data indicate. The turnout was close to 60 percent, which makes the referendum valid.

"99 percent of the people are against the mine, I am against the mine because we do not want a mine in Trun where there will be uranium, arsenic... and to be told "There is nothing to fear," a citizen of Trun who took part in the referendum commented.

“That is exactly what we expected of the referendum and we are not surprised by the results,” Rumyana Boyanova, member of the “Bulgaria for the Trun region” initiative committee said for the Bulgarian National Radio’s Horizont channel and added:

“The turnout speaks for itself – it shows clearly enough what people think, what they want and what they do not want. Still, I am expecting all kinds of hindrances and attempts to play down the results or to find a way to have them annulled. It would not surprise us if the referendum itself was challenged in court because the will of the citizens goes against serious economic interests.”

Boyanova added that Trun has magnificent nature, splendid natural assets which there is no way people will allow to be ruined:

“Before the referendum nobody discussed the advantages a mine would bring or that the investor’s office was set fire to two days ago,” said for Horizont Ivan Andreev, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Chamber of Mining and Geology and added:

“This investor did not interfere in the referendum in any way. I am counting on law enforcement to do their job, but not just to catch the vandal who set fire to the office, I want them to find the organizers, because I am absolutely certain this was organized arson.”