Desislava Ivancheva
Desi has graduated from the New Bulgarian
University earning a Master’s degree in
"Public Administration". Formerly she
received a high school diploma from the
High school of Chemical Technology and
Biotechnology "Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov" in
Sofia with the specialty of technician in
organic and inorganic chemistry.
In 2000, she started her own business being
the owner of a transport company. She owns
2 buses and is member of the European
Transport Association. Among her clients
were the football teams AC Milan, CSKA, the
Bulgarian national wrestling team, the
delegations of the Italian president and
prime minister during their visits to Bulgaria,
and many others.
She is also business representative of a
global international brand for professional
hair cosmetics. Prior to becoming an
independent mayor of the Mladost district,
she owned a warehouse and a cosmetics
store and supplied products for hairdressing
salons.
She grew up and is currently resident of the
Mladost district of Sofia city. She actively
participated in the local citizens’ protests,
became chair of the initiative committee “For
Green Mladost” and took part in the
collection of signatures for a referendum that
requests moratorium on future construction
in the Mladost district.
Bilyana Petrova
Bilyana graduated from the Sofia
Mathematics High School with a gold medal.
She holds Master’s degrees in international
relations from the Bucharest University of
Economic Studies in Romania and the
University of National and World Economy in
Sofia, Bulgaria, as well as a Master’s degree
in Computer Science from Sofia University
“St. Kliment Ohridski”. She has worked in
marketing and advertising for leading
Bulgarian companies for the production of
cosmetic products.
Since 2004 he has been working on various
projects of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) aimed at enabling
employment and assisting small and
medium-sized enterprises.
From 2008 to 2016 she was involved in the
implementation of more than 80 projects.
She has written analyses and reports on
behalf of Bulgaria for the European
Commission, the European Parliament and
for several Bulgarian ministries and
agencies. For more than 4 years she has
been the editor and editor-in-chief of the
Swiss agricultural magazine “Agro & Pari”
(“Agro & Money”).
She took on her new position of Deputy
Mayor in 2016, declaring that "I decided to
become Deputy Mayor of the Mladost district
to join the cause for stopping the overdevelopment,
for more green spaces and for
better management of the city district where I
grew up and where I raised my child".
Ivancheva and Petrova, together with their team, governed one and a half year before being publicly arrested and removed from office
The dissatisfaction with over-development, corruption and the so far management
of Sofia and the Mladost district by Boiko Borissov’s party and Sofia Mayor
Yordanka Fandakova caused serious civil unrest, numerous protests and led to the
incontestable victory of the independent civilian candidate for mayor of Mladost –
Dessislava Ivancheva, in the 2016 elections.
It is important to note that regional mayors of districts in Sofia have extremely
limited authority. They cannot issue building permits, cannot stop them and do not
have a stand-alone budget. Their main function is to inform citizens and organize
public discussions with them in connection with the decisions that Sofia
Municipality has ordered.
Despite the limitations and lack of political affiliation and “back”, for the time that
Mayor Ivancheva and Petrova were in office, they managed to activate the civil
society, to organize and participate in numerous media-, sports-, cultural and civic
events.
They knew they were elected by the citizens and were guided only by the civil interest and will.
They organized the communities in condominium properties, donated them flowers, paints and materials for becoming better places to live, held trainings for their participation in European projects and programs. They managed to organize donations for the needy, books for Bulgarians abroad, and brought actions before the public about lobbyist legislative changes to the detriment of the green areas and parks in Sofia.
They investigated property frauds and suspicious building permits. They initiated
and participated actively in holding a referendum that requests moratorium on
future construction in the already overdeveloped residential neighborhood of
Mladost. The referendum was subsequently passed censure on by Sofia
Municipality and Boyko Borissov’s party, despite the over 20,000 signatures of the
residents of the neighborhood.
They organized and participated in the cleaning of the neighborhood parks, they met regularly with civil groups, politicians and public figures.
They gave hope to thousands of residents of Mladost that their opinion will be heard and their quality of life in the area not only will not be made worse but also, with common efforts, it will be improved.
In the most corrupt and poor country in the European Union, headed by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the honest are beaten, defamed, repressed and removed from office.
