As the first round of the local elections scheduled for October 27 approaches, the number of reports of vote buying incidents have increased, Bulgaria’s Minister of Interior Mladen Marinov announced in an interview for BTV. Minister Marinov rejected the accusations of the opposition that no reports of vote buying against the ruling parties have been checked and added that 6 such reports were checked on October 22 only. The competent authorities detained candidates for mayors and municipal councilors in the Black Sea resort Nesebar. In the towns of Nesebar and Gorna Oryahovitsa the authorities are investigating cases related to crimes against the electoral rights of the citizens, Minister Mladenov specified.