BULGARIA’S PRESIDENT-ELECT ROUMEN RADEV AND VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT ILIYANA YOTOVA TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE

Bulgaria’s President–elect Roumen Radev and Vice-President-elect Iliyana Yotova took the oath of office in the National Assembly in Sofia at 10.00 a.m. on 19th of January 2017.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the outgoing President Rosen Plevneliev, outgoing Vice-President Margarita Popova, outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, members of the Constitutional Court, top magistrates, diplomats and other officials.

The ceremony was presided by Parliament’s Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva.

In his speech, President Roumen Radev said he was proud to be the Head of State of a multifaceted nation in which various ethnic groups and peoples coexisted for 13 centuries. Life seems orderly only on the pages of history. Politics always happens in the present. Statehood is built cumulatively, Radev said. He expressed appreciation for the achievements of the previous presidents Zhelyu Zhelev; Petar Stoyanov; Georgi Parvanov and Rosen Plevneliev.

Radev said he would not exceed his constitutional powers, but would not let those powers to be cut. He noted he would be the President of all Bulgarian citizens, regardless of party affiliation, religion and ethnicity and outlined his priorities.