Outgoing PM Denkov to GERB-UDF: Keep your word. Do not throw the country into chaos!

Outgoing Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov made an address on BNT1 at 20.00 on March 24 in relation to the end of negotiations with GERB-UDF.

"In order to fulfil our long-term tasks, 9 months ago we (WCC-DB) agreed with GERB-UDF that the government has a term of 18 months, in the middle of the period the prime ministers will rotate and the ministers will rotate only if there is a mutual consent. I kept my promise and on 6 March my resignation was accepted. Negotiations on the complement of the Council of Ministers have shown that we do not have mutual agreement on the replacement of ministers. According to our agreement, only Mrs Gabriel and I should change our posts. At the same time, in the course of the negotiations, we worked out an agreement on reforms in the judicial system, regulators and security services. It has been published and we are ready to sign it. I turn to the leadership of GERB-SDU and remind them of the promise they made 9 months ago - instead of throwing the country into chaos, they should keep their word, sign the agreement and vote for a government with Mariya Gabriel as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, without changing the complement of the Council of Ministers. Colleagues from the GERB-UDF, it is your decision, will you break the promise you gave 9 months ago, will you abandon the reform agreement, will you throw the country back into another cycle of elections. The only thing that is expected of you today is to keep your word and to fulfil our duty to the people and to Bulgaria," Denkov said.

Denkov’s statement came following an announcement made earlier in the day by Mariya Gabriel, who said that she would submit a letter to the Parliament withdrawing her candidacy for Prime Minister. GERB-UDF will not take part in negotiations for a second mandate, Gabriel told a GERB-UDF briefing.

Mariya Gabriel withdraws her candidacy for Prime Minister