On 11th day of first sitting, Bulgaria’s Parliament elects Kiselova as Speaker
On December 6, the eleventh day of the first sitting of Bulgaria’s 51st National Assembly, constitutional law expert Associate Professor Natalia Kiselova of the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left coalition was elected Speaker.
This brought to a close the marathon deadlock over the election of Parliament’s principal presiding officer that began on November 11 in the National Assembly that was elected on October 27.
Kiselova was elected in a second-round vote with the votes of 140 out of 233 MPs.
The votes for her came from Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition, the We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition, the Ahmed Dogan loyalists of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, and the BSP – United Left.
In the second-round vote, Kiselova defeated Silvi Kirilov, the ITN MP who as the 51st National Assembly’s oldest member had been presiding over the first sitting pending the election of a Speaker.
Crucial to Kiselova’s election was the second-round support of WCC – DB, whose MPs abstained at the first round, at which WCC – DB’s own candidate Atanas Atanassov was defeated.
WCC – DB had made conditional its support for Kiselova at the second round the signing by the BSP – United Left of a declaration of a cordon sanitaire around Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski, the controversial figure sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom for corruption.
Kiselova is a newcomer to politics, having previously been best known to the public because of her appearances in the media commenting on constitutional issues.
On taking up her post, Kiselova told the House: “”Bulgarian citizens today need to hear three things – the first is that there is hope and it is that the country will return to the normal course of governance.”
“Second – sweat and tears. It will not be easy. The efforts must be worth it, because Bulgarian citizens want a state that thinks about them.”
Kiselova thanked everyone, including those who did not support her.
“I will be the Speaker of the National Assembly of all and the efforts must be worth it. Compromises are an issue that will be discussed, but when a decision is made, it must be respected. Thank you.”
The National Assembly proceeded to elect Deputy Speakers. Each parliamentary group is entitled to a Deputy Speaker, but Peevski’s group did not nominate one.
The Deputy Speakers are Raya Nazaryan (GERB-UDF), Atanas Atanassov (WCC-DB), Tsoncho Ganev (Vuzrazhdane), Khairi Sadakov (ARF), Dragomir Stoynev (BSP – United Left), Nikoleta Kuzmanova (ITN) and Radostin Vassilev (Mech).
The election of a Speaker means that Parliament may proceed to transact business, such as the approval of a Budget and other legislation. It also opens the way for parliamentary groups to be formally constituted, in turn opening the way for the process of attempts to elect a government.
(Main photo: parliament.bg)
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