In a decisive referendum held on Sunday, 96.82% of eligible voters in the municipality of Bozhurishte rejected exploration activities and gold mining in the Zlatusha area, according to the Bozhurishte Municipal Election Commission (BMEC). The Zlatusha area spans the territories of Sofia Municipality, Sofia Province, and the municipalities of Dragoman, Slivnitsa, Bozhurishte, Breznik, and Pernik.
Out of 6,815 eligible voters, 4,024 cast their ballots, with 3,896 affirmatively responding to the question opposing the Bozhurishte Municipal Council and the Mayor’s coordination of plans and decisions related to the extraction of metallic minerals and underground resources in the municipality’s territory, as defined by Decision No. 486/2018 of the Energy Minister.
For the proposal to be accepted, at least 40% of eligible voters needed to participate, and more than half of the participants had to vote ‘Yes’. With these criteria met, the BMEC declared the proposal accepted. This decision can be appealed before the Sofia Region Administrative Court within seven days.
Sunday’s voting took place in 12 sections across Bozhurishte municipality, coinciding with the elections for the National Assembly and European Parliament. The referendum was initiated by all Bozhurishte municipal councillors, prompted by a contract for a project to prospect and explore minerals in the Zlatusha area.
