Social policy minister stays in post after protest against his resignation

Bisser Petkov remains Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on 12^th of June in the Turkish city of Izmir, where he was paying a visit for the opening ceremony of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline, TANAP.

Given that parents of children with disabilities get on well with him and trust him, I count on continuing to work together and resolve the problem, the prime minister added.

This morning I decided that Biser Petkov should remain in the post of social minister, Borissov said.

Yesterday, we held a long meeting with the Social Minister, the Finance Minister, the Health Minister, to whom I asked the question of why there were discontent and tent camps by parents of disabled children. The Social Minister told me he could not deal with them because their demands were related to more funds - more than 300 million a year, the prime minister said.

He recalled that Ombudsperson Maya Manolova has assured him that the draft Personal Assistance Act does not require more money.

"That's why I told Biser Petkov in the morning to go to work, to continue his activity," Borissov said.

Yesterday, 11^th of June. it became clear that Biser Petkov resigned at his own initiative after informing the prime minister that he could not cope with the dissatisfaction of protesting mothers of disabled children.

Borisov, however, watched television this morning and found that the protesters were dissatisfied with the resignation because they had reached an agreement with Petkov and their representatives participated in the working group that prepared the draft Personal Assistance Act.

Yes, I am leaving minister Petkov at the post. If they say he is a well-working minister and they like him, Borissov said and added that he aksed Petkov to gather everyone and find out whether more mone6y are actually needed or not.

Officially, Biser Petkov submitted his resignation on 11^th of June because he could not cope with the tensions over demands raised by parents of children with disabilities. The protesting parent have put up tent camps in Sofia and other cities in Bulgaria.

However, the parents were not happy about Petkov's resignation and in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister they demanded his reinstatement.

Trade union CITUB (Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria) and Podkrepa also sent a letter asking Prime Minister Borissov to reinstate Petkov.