Controversial MP for Bulgarian PM Borissov’s GERB party submits resignation from Parliament
A controversial MP for Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s centre-right GERB party, Anton Todorov, said on October 9 that he was resigning from Parliament – a move that followed Todorov having been enmeshed in high-profile rows for days.
Twice last week, GERB’s parliamentary leadership distanced itself from statements and incidents in which Todorov was involved. First, after he alleged that President Roumen Radev had taken a bribe to favour a bidder in the jet fighter acquisition process. Second, after comments in a television interview by Todorov were seen as threatening to have the show host fired.
In the days before these incidents, Todorov had been named as GERB’s choice to be nominated to become the next head of the Dossier Commission. But amid an outcry from political critics and after a petition against Todorov’s nomination was signed by more than 30 intellectuals and historians, GERB backed away from the move.
In a statement to GERB leadership that was distributed the media by the party’s press office, Todorov said that the decision to resign from Parliament was his alone.
Todorov said that in less than 10 days, he had been subjected to an “unprecedented attack” from “environments” that would never forgive him for the revelations that he had made about the oligarchy, those who acted behind the scenes and those who commmanded them.
“I am referring to current politicians and former employees of the totalitarian services,” he said.
Todorov said that in his spite of his insistence that, regarding his comments in the television interview, he had been “totally misunderstood” but nonetheless had apologised, the attacks on him had not stopped, but had been stepped up, against GERB’s leadership and the party.
He repeated that he apologised to Nova Televizia breakfast show host Viktor Nikolaev, and said that he supported media freedom.
Todorov said that he would remain a member of GERB “and will continue to work for the development of the party and its policies”.
Todorov is the second GERB MP to submit his resignation in recent weeks. Former cabinet minister Delyan Dobrev earlier tabled his resignation following prolonged controversy generated by the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party about alleged involvement of Dobrev in appointments in a local municipality on the basis of nepotism and party allegiance.
Bulgarian law requires the resignation of an MP to be approved by Parliament. On the basis of GERB’s votes in the National Assembly, Dobrev’s resignation as an MP was rejected.
