"We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" returned the second mandate to form a government unfulfilled

“We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) on March 27 returned the second exploratory mandate to form a government unfulfilled.

"I will return the mandate unfulfilled, because in the current National Assembly there is no support for the governance programme that we adopted with (power sharing partner) GERB - UDF 9 months ago. There is also no support for the reforms that were the basis for the formation of this government.

GERB-UDF actually wants elections and this is the result of this desire of theirs.The negotiations were conducted pro forma with the clear understanding that the country should be sent to elections," said outgoing Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov on the return of the mandate to the President.

The co-chair of WCC-DB, Kiril Petkov, called on the Head of State to do everything possible so that the increasingly likely early parliamentary elections be held at the same time as the European Parliament elections (sheduled for June 9). This would save BGN 100 million for the budget.

"We will not participate in negotiations for a third mandate. Our request is, if you can save BGN 100 million for the Bulgarian citizens so that we do not have two elections, I ask you to make an effort. I know that this is not entirely in your powers, but not only that the country is going into chaos because GERB-UDF forgot their promises, but at least if we can save the Bulgarian taxpayers 100 million BGN," said Kiril Petkov, co-chair of WCC-DB.

According to the head of state, it is already too late for that.

"I understand your concern, but it is too late for such a request. I have urged that no rash changes be made to the Constitution, especially in relation to caretaker cabinets. You have made them, and now the questions become much bigger. I will do my best to prevent the process of choosing the caretaker cabinet from turning into a constitutional crisis. For your part, you have done everything possible to severely limit the powers of the presidential institution. Not only in terms of the selection, complement and control of the caretaker cabinet, but also in determining the time parameters for the process of setting the date of the next elections. And you will very soon understand why, when I invite not only you, but all the parties to consultations in 10 days, to make a final decision, as written in Article 99, Paragraph 5. So, the way you wrote it down, the way I will execute it. I sympathize with you, but you have done everything possible to prevent this institution from being able to dominate the processes as it has been until now," the President was firm.

The narrow range of options for choosing a prime minister narrowed even further today following the resignation of the deputy ombudsman. Elena Cherneva-Markova was the only one of the possible nominations for caretaker prime minister who is not connected to any party and for whom it can be safely claimed that there is no incompatibility, Rumen Radev also commented.

According to the head of state, this increases the likelihood of a political cabinet.

Images by Dessislava Kulelieva

"How did Mrs. Elena Cherneva-Markova suddenly decide to resign? And when this was announced in the National Assembly, I was really surprised that you remained silent and did not react, and in my opinion there should have been questions. Why? How? What motives? How come suddenly she resigned, yesterday? Was there any pressure and why did you not initiate a hearing.

And if these are normal things for you, then don't be surprised as a consequence that the probability of getting a political caretaker cabinet, which I don't know, but in any case, most likely will not be in your favour," the President told the leaders of WCC-DB.

Yesterday, WCC-DB came up with a new proposal to GERB-UDF to jointly form a cabinet, headed by a mutually acceptable prime minister from GERB-UDF, without changing any of the previous ministers (of Denkov’s cabinet). The largest parliamentary force, GERB-UDF categorically rejected the offer and announced that it will not participate in attempts to form a government - neither with the second nor with the third mandate.

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Under recent changes to the Constitution, the list of potential caretaker Prime Ministers includes the Speaker of Parliament, the Governor and Vice Governors of the central bank Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), the head of the National Audit Office and his deputies, and the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman.

Deputy Ombudsman, Elena Cherneva - Markova, has resigned and her powers have been suspended as of March 27. She was one of the possible office-holders among which the President could choose the caretaker Prime Minister.