Bulgaria: Peevski’s party will continue to support government for full term
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning, the party headed by Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski, will continue to support Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF and the partners in government for a full term in office of the Cabinet, according to a statement posted jointly on October 22 by Peevski’s and Borissov’s parties.
This appeared to be end of a political drama sparked just more than a week earlier when Borissov reacted indignantly to his party’s poor showing in a Pazardzhik by-election in which Peevski’s party got by far the largest share of votes. Borissov demanded the “reformatting” of the government.
Technically, Bulgaria’s government in a minority one but is held in place by Peevski’s party which is not formally part of the ruling majority.
The October 22 statement, posted on the websites of MRF – New Beginning and GERB and accompanied by the same photographs, said that the two parliamentary groups had agreed on a decision not to change “the current form of support”.
MRF – New Beginning is declining to participate in the government as well as in the leadership of the parliamentary committees, the statement said.
“The parties confirmed their commitment to comply with the agreed legislative and governance program to ensure stability and consistency in the interest of the citizens and the state,” it said.
“Political responsibility for a full term of the government was also declared, while fulfilling the commitments for Bulgaria’s Euro-Atlantic orientation.”
Borissov, speaking to reporters in the corridors of Parliament on October 22, said that the “reformatting” of the government line-up that he had demanded last week did not happen because “the other two parties” did not want it.
When asked why the cabinet was not reformatted as he had requested, Borissov said: “Because there was no desire from everyone. There was no desire from the other two parties, so I postponed.”
“After a few days of watching them all writhe, the others talking nonsense – outright nonsense. As always – I invited Delyan with his people from his party and asked him under what conditions this government will exist, because with 100 people it will not exist. We cannot accept a Budget.”
“They (MRF – New Beginning) came, we talked, without asking for anything, they will support the government. The responsibility lies with GERB and the other two parties.”
There was no immediate word about the opinions on the matter of government minority partners the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left and populist party ITN.
Nor was it said whether the agreement has been coordinated with the ruling coalition council, which met on October 21, but only long enough to announce that it is discussing the Budget and may introduce the principle the post of Speaker of the National Assembly being rotated.
After last week the National Assembly did not hold a single sitting because of lack of a quorum, the result of GERB-UDF and MRF – New Beginning MPs absenting themselves, on October 22 a total of 167 MPs registered as present and the scheduled sitting began.
Similarly, the political drama that began last week led to the cancellation of the Cabinet meeting that had been scheduled for October 15, but on October 21, the Cabinet met, dealing with all 35 items on its agenda in a 35-minute meeting. The agenda items were those that had been on the agenda for last week’s cancelled meeting.
(Photos: GERB)
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