No breakthrough in the deadlock over the election of Speaker of 51st Parliament

Exactly one month after the October 27 early parliamentary elections, MPs' sixth attempt to elect a Speaker of Bulgaria’s 51st Parliament failed again, leaving it unable to start work.

The election of the Speaker has become a stumbling block for politicians.

The first sitting began on November 11, and there has been a repeat of events on each of the days that Parliament has met since then.

On the sixth day of the first sitting, November 27, the parties nominated the same candidates for Speaker, and once again, the same two candidates advanced to a runoff: Raya Nazaryan from GERB-UDF and Silvi Kirilov from "There Is Such a People" (TISP).

Nazaryan received 69 votes in favour, 147 against, and four abstentions. Kirilov got 100 votes in favour, 101 against, and 16 abstentions.

In the first round of voting today, Nazaryan garnered 69 votes in favour, 164 against, and five abstentions. Kirilov received 66 votes in favour, 115 against, and 57 abstentions. Natalia Kiselova of BSP-United Left received 50 votes in favour, 113 against, and 75 abstentions. Petar Petrov of Vazrazhdane received 46 votes in favour, 128 against, and 64 abstentions.

Following the vote, Silvi Kirilov, who chaired the inaugural sitting of the 51st Parliament as the most senior MP, suspended Wednesday's sitting and said that it would resume at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 28.