Bulgaria’s President will dissolve Parliament on September 16

Bulgarian President Roumen Radev will dissolve the current National Assembly on September 16 and appoint a caretaker government, according to a brief statement on the Presidency’s website on September 13.

At the weekend, Radev said that he would decree that early parliamentary elections would be held on November 14, the same day voted by Parliament for the holding of the first round of presidential elections.

Bulgaria’s third parliamentary elections in 2021 are a consequence of the failure by the 45th and 46th National Assemblies, elected in April and July, respectively, to vote a government into office.

The 46th National Assembly, since holding its first sitting on July 21, has held numerous hearings of caretaker cabinet ministers and elected ad hoc committees on various issues. It has ratified agreements on the donation or re-sale of vaccines against Covid-19 and, after marathon and frequently chaotic sittings last week, approved the second reading of amendments to the 2021 Budget.

A bid by members of three parliamentary groups for a special sitting of the National Assembly on September 13 for the second reading of a bill to transfer the witness protection bureau from the control of the Prosecutor-General to that of the Ministry of Justice was refused by Speaker Iva Miteva on procedural grounds.

Special sittings of various committees were called for September 13, though at least one failed to proceed because it failed to secure a quorum.

Earlier, Parliament’s website said that plenary sessions of the National Assembly would be held from September 15 to 17. This announcement preceded the one by Radev that he would dissolve the current legislature on September 16.

The current caretaker government appointed by Radev took office on May 12. It remains to be seen whether the one that Radev decrees on September 16 will have changes to the line-up.

(Photo: president.bg)

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