Standoff over election of Speaker of Bulgaria’s 51st National Assembly continues
The November 13 continuation of the first sitting of Bulgaria’s 51st National Assembly saw the standoff over the election of a Speaker enduring.
Until it elects a Speaker, the Parliament elected on October 27 cannot proceed to transact business.
In a repeat of the November 11 commencement of the first sitting, five groups nominated their candidates for Speaker.
With none getting sufficient votes to be elected, the two with the largest numbers – Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF candidate Raya Nazaryan and the reformist We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition’s Andrei Tsekov – went to a second round.
In a re-vote, Nazaryan got 69 votes, all coming solely from GERB-UDF as they did on Monday, and Tsekov 66, both far short of the 50 per cent plus one of MPs present threshold for election.
The sitting was adjourned and is to resume on November 15 at 11am.
Talks led by Borissov were held on November 13 with the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left group and with ITN.
BSP – United Left participants in the talks said that policies had been discussed, not the formation of a government nor the election of a Speaker.
They said that GERB-UDF and BSP – United Left had agreed that the liberalisation of the energy market should be postponed for two years.
ITN’s Toshko Yordanov said that a government line-up had not been discussed and said that most of the talks were about the state of Bulgaria’s finances, which he described as “terrible”.
It remains unclear whether Borissov will meet WCC-DB, the second-largest parliamentary group.
Borissov said on November 12 that he was leaving such talks for last.
However, WCC-DB is insisting that GERB-UDF formally undertakes to join in a “cordon sanitaire” around Delyan Peevski, of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning coalition, a controversial figure subject to US Magnitsky Act and UK sanctions for corruption.
Borissov has pledged not to involve Peevski’s group nor that of MRF founder Ahmed Dogan in a governing coalition, and also has ruled out involving pro-Russian groups Vuzrazhdane and Mech.
(Screenshot of the November 13 continuation of the first sitting)
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