"There is Such a People" returned third and final mandate to seek to form a government unfuilfilled, Bulgaria is heading to new snap elections

"There is Such a People" on August 5 returned the third and final government forming mandate to President Rumen Radev unfulfilled. Thus, the 50th National Assembly goes down in history and Bulgaria prepares to elect the composition of the 51st. This would be the seventh early parliamentary elections in just more than three years.

"We found that we had no particular differences in terms of the goals for the country and we could walk together. The political wisdom in one party was not enough to make a decision on the spot."

"Thank you for the trust that you handed the mandate to seek to form a government to us. It is unnecessary to tell you what happened because it was public. If we look positively at what happened it is that we talked to all political parties except one. This did not happen with the first or the second mandate," said Toshko Yordanov.

The President thanked TISP for trying to implement the mandate and commented that going to another election raises doubts about whether parliamentarism is an effective form of functioning of the state.

"The spiral of elections continues to unfold and not only causes irritation but also unleashes a number of destructive processes, blockage of a number of institutions, alienation of the people from the democratic process. The solution to the crisis is in the hands of the political parties and they should comprehend that the foundation for the creation of a successful coalition is laid not after the elections but before them."

Rumen Radev called on the parties for fair play in the coming weeks and pointed out that today he will invite Speaker of Parliament Raya Nazaryan for a discussion on the choice of the future caretaker prime minister.

TISP party leader Slavi Trifonov said yesterday that despite the efforts of the negotiators and despite the fact that there were no serious differences in priorities with most parties in Parliament, a majority cannot be gathered to form a cabinet.

The President, after consultations with the parliamentary groups and on the proposal of the candidate for caretaker prime minister, is to appoint a caretaker government and schedule new elections within two months.

For the post of caretaker prime minister, he may choose from among the Speaker of the Parliament, the Governor or a Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, the Chair or Deputy Chair of the Audit Office and the Ombudsman or a Deputy Ombudsman.

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Under the Constitution, the first two mandates go to the two largest groups in Parliament, GERB-UDF and MRF. If they fail to form a government, the President hands over the third mandate to a parliamentary group at his discretion. If it fails too, a caretaker government is appointed and parliamentary elections are scheduled within two months.

The largest group in the 50th Parliament, GERB-UDF, received the first mandate, but on July 3, Bulgaria's Parliament denied approval to Prime Minister-designate Rosen Zhelyazkov

The second mandate was expected to go to the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), but it was handed over to We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, because after the June 9 early elections, We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria was the third-largest force in the 50th Parliament, but was put in the position of the second following a split in the Movement for Rights and Freedoms causing it to become the fourth largest group after 17 MPs were expelled and some quitted the group.

President handed second government-forming mandate to WCC-DB, they returned it unfulfilled