Alliance for Rights and Freedoms

Alliance for Rights and Freedoms
Алианс за права и свободи
AbbreviationAPS
Parliamentary leaderHayri Sadakov
Honorary ChairmanAhmed Dogan
ChairmenTaner Ali
Dimitar Nikolov
Sevim Ali
Hayri Sadukov
FoundersAhmed Dogan
Dzhevdet Chakarov
Founded2 September 2024 (2024-09-02), 1 year ago
Registered11 September 2024 (2024-09-11), 1 year ago
Split fromMovement for Rights and Freedoms
Ideology
Political positionCentre
European Parliament groupRenew Europe
Colors  Blue (official)
  Purple (customary)
National Assembly
17 / 240
European Parliament
1 / 17

The Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (Bulgarian: Алианс за права и свободи, АПС, romanized: Alians za prava i svobodi, APS; Turkish: Hak ve Özgürlükler İttifakı[4][5]) formerly DPS–Dogan, DPS–DPS[a] or the Doganists,[7] is a Bulgarian political party and formerly an electoral alliance. It predominantly consists of former members of the DPS, including its founder Ahmed Dogan.[8][9][10]

History

As a coalition

The electoral coalition was formed following a rift between two factions in the DPS, led by its co-chairmen Dzhevdet Chakarov and Delyan Peevski. On 27 August 2024, the Central Committee of the party, closely linked to party founder and honorary chairman Ahmed Dogan, expelled Peevski and several of his allies.[11] Peevski disputed this and both factions submitted registrations to participate in the October 2024 election. On 11 September, the SAC ruled that the unprecedented electronic application of DPS–Peevski was valid, because it had been submitted first.[12][13] Afterwards DPS–Dogan changed their name and removed DPS from the registration of their coalition.[14][15]

The Alliance for Rights and Freedoms coalition achieved 6th place and 19 seats in the October 2024 election and formed a parliamentary group named DPS - Democracy, Rights and Freedoms or DPS-DPS. In June 2025, the speaker of the National Assembly, Nataliya Kiselova, put forward proposals to strip the group of the name, due to its alleged conflict with electoral law, which were approved by the National Assembly.[16][6] Although the group refused to comply, the name change from DPS–DPS to APS was enforced.[17]

During the formation of the Zhelyazkov Government, the coalition agreed to provide external support. In early March 2025, the group announced that they believed the government had been working with DPS–Peevski and suggested they could withdraw their support for it,[18][19] which they did later that month.[20]

Peevski had challenged his expulsion from the party and removal as co-leader, arguing that it had been unconstitutional.[21] In December 2024 and February 2025 the Sofia City Court ruled in his favour, affirming his leadership of the original DPS.[22] In May, following legal pressure, Chakarov withdrew his claim to the leadership and announced he would be leaving the APS group.[23][24][25] Over the following months, three further MPs also left the group.[26][27] The remaining MPs selected Hayri Sadakov to succeed Chakarov as chairman of the group.[25]

As a party

In late May 2025 Dogan and his supporters expressed interest in creating a new party, possibly named "Movement for Unity and Justice".[28][29][30] On 22 July, Dogan announced the beginning of a three month transition period to a new political project, stating that the original DPS had been 'hijacked' by Peevski.[31]

On 11 September Dogan announced that the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms would transform into a political party.[32] Its founding congress was held on 15 November, Ahmed Dogan was elected honorary chairman and Hayri Sadakov, Taner Ali, Sevim Ali and Dimitar Nikolov were elected co-chairmen.[33] The party submitted its registration on 9 January 2026.[34]

Composition

The composition of DPS–Dogan at the October 2024 election was as follows:

Party Leader Ideology
Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS)[b] Dzhevdet Chakarov Liberalism
Turkish minority interests
Just Bulgaria United Patriots (SBOR)[c] Dimitar Iliev
Agrarian People's Union (ZNS)[d] Roumen Yonchev Agrarianism

Election results

National Assembly

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Government
Oct 2024 Dzhevdet Chakarov 182,253 7.23 (#6)
19 / 240
 New Support (Jan-Mar 2025)
Opposition (Since Mar 2025)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The coalition was also known as Democracy, Rights and Freedoms (DPS, or DPS–DPS), after the name of its a parliamentary group in the Bulgarian national assembly, until use of the DPS acronym was disallowed in June 2025.[6]
  2. ^ Dogan faction
  3. ^ Formerly part of the Together electoral coalition in 2023.
  4. ^ Formerly part of various electoral coalitions, most recently Blue Bulgaria for the June 2024 elections.

References

  1. ^ "Latest Polling Data and election polls for APS". Latest Polling Data and election polls for APS. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  2. ^ a b "Bulgaria". Europe Elects. 2025-03-03. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  3. ^ [1][2]
  4. ^ "Ahmet Doğan Taraftarları MSK'da Hak ve Özgürlükler İttifakı Koalisyonunu Kaydetti". Kırcaali Haber (in Turkish). Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  5. ^ "Hak ve Özgürlükler İttifakı /Alians/ koalisyonu seçimlere kayıt başvurusu sundu". bnr.bg (in Turkish). 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  6. ^ a b "Bulgaria's Parliament Orders DPS-Dogan to Rename Within Days, Prompting Backlash - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency". www.novinite.com. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
  7. ^ "Борисов обяви, че е натъжен и опасен. Доганистите искат ГЕРБ да покаже записи от коалиционните съвети". Mediapool.bg (in Bulgarian). 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
  8. ^ "Доган и Пеевски: Създателят се отрича от творението си – DW – 2.09.2024". dw.com (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  9. ^ "Безпрецедентно: ЦИК прие едновременно документите на двете ДПС-та". Mediapool.bg (in Bulgarian). 2024-09-02. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  10. ^ Телевизия, Нова. "Чакъров: Коалицията ни е ДПС – "Демокрация, права и свободи"". nova.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-09-03.
  11. ^ "ДПС на Ахмед Доган изключи Делян Пеевски и хората му". www.24chasa.bg. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  12. ^ "The SAC ruled that the CEC should immediately register DPS-New Beginning".
  13. ^ "Supreme Court Bars Ahmed Dogan's DPS Coalition from Elections, Allows Peevski's Faction - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency". www.novinite.com. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  14. ^ ""Алианс за права и свободи": Румен Йончев от името на лоялните на Доган регистрира коалиция без ДПС". epicenter.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  15. ^ "Пеевски: Има едно ДПС, Ахмед Доган е от земеделците (обновена)". Mediapool.bg (in Bulgarian). 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  16. ^ "Доган губи и името "ДПС-ДПС" по предложение на Киселова и Пеевски". Булевард България (in Bulgarian). 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  17. ^ "Bulgaria's National Assembly Enforces Name Change on Dogan's DPS Faction - Now It's APS". Novinite. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  18. ^ "Борисов обяви, че е натъжен и опасен. Доганистите искат ГЕРБ да покаже записи от коалиционните съвети". Mediapool.bg (in Bulgarian). 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
  19. ^ Ганчев, Невелин (2025-03-06). "Партиите от коалицията: ДПС-ДПС цели да дестабилизира управлението и да ни въвлече в конфликта си с ДПС-Ново начало". Breaking.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2025-03-07.
  20. ^ "ДПС на Ахмед Доган оттегля подкрепата за кабинета" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  21. ^ "Официалният сайт на ДПС отново е под контрола на Делян Пеевски". bTV Новините (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  22. ^ "Съдът отказа да премахне Делян Пеевски като председател и член на ДПС" [Delyan Peevski: DPS-New beginning is already a fact]. svobodnaevropa.bg (in Bulgarian). 4 February 2025. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  23. ^ "Джевдет Чакъров "се предаде" на Пеевски след повдигнати обвинения на сина му". Capital.bg (in Bulgarian). 2025-05-27. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  24. ^ "Официално: Джевдет Чакъров вече не е част от групата на ДПС-Доган". www.24chasa.bg. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  25. ^ a b "Джевдет Чакъров стана първият независим депутат в този парламент". Dnevnik (in Bulgarian). 2025-05-28. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
  26. ^ "Vanya Vasileva MP Leaves Democracy, Rights and Freedoms Parliamentary Group". www.bta.bg. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  27. ^ "Листопадът в АПС продължава! И Мюмюн Мюмюн напусна групата на Доган". Epicenter (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  28. ^ "Ахмед Доган прави нова партия (ОБНОВЕНА)". bTV Новините (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  29. ^ "Ахмед Доган основава нова партия, след като Пеевски овладя еднолично ДПС". Svobodna Evropa. 29 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  30. ^ Веселинова, Йорданка (2025-05-30). "След ДПС хората около Доган ще правят нова партия, но без него". Dnevnik (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  31. ^ "Bulgaria: Dogan Declares DPS Lost to Oligarchic Control, Launches Three-Month Plan for New Political Force". Novinite. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  32. ^ "Официално: Доган тръгва с нова парти - Алианс за права и свободи". 24Chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  33. ^ "Почетен председател с оперативни функции. Доган учреди АПС в отсъствието на знакови лица". SvobodnaEvropa.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  34. ^ "АПС се регистрира като политическа партия" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2026-01-12.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.