Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Early parliamentary elections - 27 October 2024

A pediatrician is the chairman of the only polling station in Kuwait

Dr. Tsvetan Tsenkov believes that the way out of the situation is rules in politics, coalition culture among our politicians, long-term strategic policies

D-r Tsvetan Tsenkov
Photo: Private archive

Completely calm and normal, according to the law, the election day is taking place in the only open polling station in Kuwait. The Bulgarian community in the Arab country numbers about 300-350 people, mostly highly educated specialists in the fields of medicine, education, exact sciences and sports. One of them is pediatrician Dr. Tsvetan Tsenkov, who is the chairman of the polling station located in the Bulgarian embassy in Kuwait.


27 Bulgarians living in Kuwait have exercised their right to vote by noon, he tells us with the clarification that the days off there are Friday and Saturday. Sunday is the first working day of the new week and more voters are expected in the later afternoon when our compatriots finish work. In the June parliamentary elections, 58 people voted. It is possible that today they will be more.

"The hope is as always, it remains the same - law and order in the country, rules for work. The fatigue was really noticeable, there are a lot of hesitations, a lot of people seem to be coming to vote out of inertia only. In recent years, they know that no regular government is formed after the elections. In practice, no programs, no strategies can be set in motion. So, in practice, we are left with the hope that at least this time a regular government will be formed. Otherwise, there is no way – whatever hopes we have, whatever proposals we have, they cannot happen without a regular parliament and government."


Dr. Tsenkov has been living and working in Kuwait for 26 years now. And while in Bulgaria the statistics report every year the threatening lack of doctors, and in particular pediatricians, he is categorical that there are qualified professionals, the legislation and administrative regulations that have not been updated for a long time are driving them away from the Motherland.

What is the cure for our sick political system today?

"In my opinion, the electoral legislation is good, because I already have experience participating in election commissions. It is not bad. Politics - there should be rules for it. Politicians should have a coalition culture, be able to communicate with each other and have strategic issues, five-six in number, which, like in many normal countries, should not change, regardless of individual parties and governments," shares Dr. Tsvetan Tsenkov in an interview with Radio Bulgaria.

Photos: private archive


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Balkan Developments

Albania and Montenegro mark progress in European integration in 2024 EU leaders met on December 18 with their counterparts from the Western Balkans. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for finding..

published on 12/20/24 6:19 PM
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov

Bulgaria supports the European Union's position on Ukraine

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov participated in the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, BTA reports.  This was the first meeting chaired by the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security..

published on 12/17/24 10:36 AM
Vladislav Goranov

Politicians send encouraging signals that there could be a regular government

The former finance minister from GERB, Vladislav Goranov, told the Bulgarian National Radio that there are signals indicating that a government could be formed. ''We should make every effort to form a regular cabinet - not only because of the state of..

published on 12/15/24 2:14 PM