Opposition scathing about Peevski statement: ‘Borissov is finished, he is retired’
Bulgaria’s opposition coalition We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria has reacted scathingly to the joint statement by Delyan Peevski’s Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning and Boiko Borissov’s GERB on October 22 that Peevski’s party will continue the hold the government in place, with no changes.
The joint statement was the latest development in 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 and spoke of formally including Peevski’s party in government so that GERB-UDF would not bear sole responsibility. The October 22 joint statement ruled this out. Peevski’s party officially holds no Cabinet posts but for months has provided support key to keeping the minority government and parliamentary ruling coalition in place.
Ivailo Mirchev, co-leader of the Yes Bulgaria party – part of the WCC-DB coalition – said on October 22 in reaction to the joint statement: “Borisov is finished, he was retired. Peevski makes the decisions.
“Everything I wrote in a text message to Borisov has come true – that his fear of putting Peevski in the cordon sanitaire led to this disaster for GERB and all he has to do is go and have his picture taken under the coat of arms. As happened today.”
Mirchev was referring to Peevski’s practice of having his photograph taken in his parliamentary office with other figures, with the state coat of arms as a backdrop, in what critics of the Magnitsky Act-sanctioned MRF – New Beginning leader see as an act of fealty.
Mirchev said that GERB and MRF – New Beginning were “now one party”.
“This is extremely dangerous for our country, because from now on Peevski will single-handedly rule Bulgaria. We will oppose this extremely fiercely and show that we are an alternative,” Mirchev said.
WCC – DB said in a statement that “Borissov’s loud theatrical poses was reduced to a small Facebook status from the GERB party page about a possible rotation of Parliament Speakers ‘when they come to an agreement’ and a humiliating photo of the merger of GERB and the new beginning”.
There is no trace of the angry rhetoric, WCC – DB said, referring to Borissov’s emotional statements of recent days.
“Peevski, through his official statements and morning communiqués, gave three signals to Borisov, who hastily lowered the flags: he will no longer be prime minister, there will be no elections, no changes of ministers either. Peevski is not allowing ‘reformatting’ “.
The state was on pause for a whole week, WCC – DB said, referring to the political drama having sunk planned sittings of Parliament and the Cabinet last week.
“Yesterday – a timid restart with a short meeting of the Cabinet, in parallel the joint governance council was meeting all day in complete secrecy on how exactly not to reformat the government.
“Today, Parliament returns to a quorum after GERB counted the damage from the gnawing of the ‘New Beginning’ in its districts,” the statement said, referring to the poor showing of Borissov’s party in a local by-election in Pazardzhik, which was won by Peevski’s party, unleashing the political drama.
“And from all the pathos, there remained a masterful sketch of the loss in Pazardzhik, played by Borissov in front of pale MPs and ministers. The furiously announced ‘reformatting’ quietly turned into an ‘upgrade’ of nothing.”
WCC – DB said: “We repeat clearly: Bulgaria is in a systemic political crisis, because the real centre of decisions has been moved outside the constitutional institutions. Until Peevski is removed from the judiciary and (security) services, the political process will continue to be illegitimate, and the crisis – chronic”.
The “cordon sanitaire”, which Borisov was so horrified by, was aimed precisely at taking away the instruments for creating the ‘state with a capital D’ dreamed of by Peevski,” the opposition coalition said, the former a reference to its earlier attempts to get other parliamentary groups to refuse to work with Peevski and his party.
“In this environment, ‘reformatting’ is a euphemism for redistribution of power and for legalising — in any form — the alliance with Peevski. The authorities are announcing an intermission to rearrange roles and portions in the dark, instead of taking a course towards reforms.”
“This crisis cannot be cured with more paint on the facade. We need transparency, the rule of law, and a return of politics to the institutions — where it belongs. Only in this way can Bulgaria emerge from the spiral of crises and return the normality of the democratic process,” WCC – DB said.
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