‘Rotation’: GERB-UDF’s Nazaryan elected new Speaker of Bulgaria’s 51st National Assembly
On the basis of an agreement among Bulgaria’s ruling majority to “rotate” the post of Parliament’s principal presiding officer, Raya Nazaryan of Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF group was elected Speaker of the 51st National Assembly on October 29.
Nazaryan’s election followed the resignation as Speaker earlier in the day of Natalia Kiselova of ruling coalition minority partner Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left.
There were two candidates to be elected Speaker – Nazaryan and Tsoncho Ganev, an MP for opposition pro-Russian minority party Vuzrazhdane.
With 220 MPs voting, Nazaryan got 120 votes in favour, 77 against, with 14 abstentions.
The votes in favour came from GERB-UDF, 66, Delyan Peevski’s Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning, 28, the BSP – United Left, 15, populist party ITN – a minority partner in the ruling coalition, 17, and four non-aligned MPs.
The votes against came from the largest opposition group We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, 11, Vuzrazhdane, 11, the Ahmed Dogan loyalists of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, 14, and nationalist-populist Mech, 11.
Fourteen WCC – DB MPs abstained.
Ganev’s candidacy was defeated with 118 votes against, 41 in favour, with 62 abstentions.
Nazaryan was Speaker of the 50th National Assembly and until now, Deputy Speaker of the 51st.
Borissov told reporters on October 29 that the agreement was that the post of Speaker would “rotate” every 10 months among the parties in the ruling coalition – GERB-UDF, BSP – United Left and ITN.
MRF – New Beginning, the party of Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Peevski, is not formally part of the ruling coalition but holds it in place. It will not participate in the “rotation” of the Speaker’s post.
(Photo: parliament.bg)
