Something like responsibility
Ladislav Tsvetkov, June 2, 2009
The scandal that started around two anniversaries which were held in the day of mourning because of the 17 victims of the bus crash, is a classical example of how we as a people are not compassionate and what levels the collective obscenity has reached. But this is not my point. A while a got during a seminar of a political force, photographers captured how one of the politicians plays the national circle dance. Of course the pictures were later published which evoked the politician's anger. When will public figures realise then only when you do nothing then it will not be published?
The problem that the scandal raised and the way it will develop is about who and how carries responsibilities in Bulgaria. A little background. In the region of Bakadzhika on the day of St. Spas (a day when we mourn our dead, aka Ascension day) in a tragic way 16 people die and later one more, many others were wounded and part of them have been transported in the capital Sofia. At the place of the bus crash immediately arrived the president Gheorghi Parvanov, the prime minister Sergey Stanishev and both of them, side by side, say sad, well known things and most of all cliches. Nothing extraordinary so far. All the crews that participated in the rescue operations were praised, a lot of good words were uttered about their professionalism and perfect coordination. But no one asked about the reasons so many people to travel in something like a bus, much more a bus-kamikaze. Later that day mourning is being announced. The incident was in the focus of all media. It was actually impossible for someone not to learn what had happened. The tragic day is almost over - reporters wait in front of the ER, showing live pictures of the arrival of the wounded, they talk about the victims, describe for 100th time what had happened.
In spite of all this, the capital lives its own life even when the ambulances from Yambol arrive, escorted by police, decorated cars with school-leavers shout and scream and don't give a damn to what had happened. That's it. Life doesn't stop. And if for regular people what they would do is a matter of their own choice, the situation with public figures is slightly different.
The anniversary of a high police official led to the resignation of a deputy minister. The resignation is approved by the prime minister Sergey Stanishev himself. It is supported by the minister of the interior too. The event is challenged, the participants say that it's been about charity not a pure anniversary celebration. But 2 km away another anniversary celebration in the day of mourning. This time a high magistrate is celebrating. And it was reported that the minister of the interior himself Mikhail Mikov was present. Officially he said that he went only to give a bunch of flowers to the magistrate. In the highly guarded residence "Lozenets" there are no reporters so we can hardly know for sure whether he stayed for 5 minutes or for the night.
I will finish with what I started. You should never rejoice someone else's tragedy. After all that happened, with no doubt, one question will remain. What is the difference between the presence of the deputy minister of the interior at a party and the presence of the minister of the interior at another party in the day of mourning?
Another question is how important for the Sofia appellate court its president is? This is an issue which would probably remain in the shadow of the above scandal.