On third day of Parlaiment's first sitting, MPs again failed to elect a Speaker

On the third day of the inaugural sitting, the MPs in the 51st Parliament did not elect a Speaker. The presiding most senior MP Silvi Kirilov (of There is Such a People) announced a 30-minute break, after which the sitting was suspended. It will resume next week on Wednesday, November 20 at 11 o’clock.

Similarly to the previous two times, five parties each nominated a candidate. All of them except "There is Such a People" repeated their nominations - Raya Nazaryan from GERB - UDF, Andrei Tsekov from "We Continue the Change" - "Democratic Bulgaria", Petar Petrov from "Vazrazhdane", Natalia Kiselova from "BSP - United Left".

“There Is Such a People” changed its nominee and proposed Silvi Kirilov, who is the most senior MP, to become Parliament Speaker temporarily until a government is formed or new elections announced.

None of the five got enough votes to be elected. Similarly to the two previous days, Raya Nazaryan and Andrei Tsekov got the most votes and went to a run off.

Nazaryan got 69 votes, as before only from the GERB-UDF MPs, while Tsekov got 56, from WCC-DB and MPs from the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms coalition formed around Movement for Rights and Freedoms founder Ahmed Dogan.

The election of the Speaker is key for the Parliament to function, for the parliamentary groups to be formed and for the President to be able to call consultations to form a regular government.

WCC-Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Kiril Petkov: Peevski neither as scary no as strong, he is "Mr. Nobody"

'MRF-New Beggining' leader Delyan Peevski: Kiril Petkov hurts when he is told the truth

Today's sitting began with a scandal between WCC-DB co-leader Kiril Petkov and Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski, who shouted from the floor and exchanged insults. The argument sparked after Petkov said to Peevski that Peevski had bought 200,000 votes in the October 27 early elections.

A quaestor intervened to prevent further tension.

Image by Dessislava Kulelieva, BNT