site.btaBSP Petitions Constitutional Court about Parliament's Rejection of Dobrev's Resignation

Sofia, October 18 (BTA) - Sixty-two Socialist MPs have petitioned the Constitutional Court about Parliament's rejection of the resignation of GERB MP Delyan Dobrev.

BSP for Bulgaria holds that the National Assembly has no power to refuse to discharge Dobrev of his duties and can only accept his resignation, Filip Popov told reporters. This is also the view of lawyers and constitutional experts, he said.

Dobrev, who chairs the Parliamentary Energy Committee, tendered his resignation from all positions in Parliament and GERB in the wake of a cronyism scandal in his home town of Haskovo fanned by the opposition Socialist Party. On October 4, BSP for Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms voted in favour of the resignation, while GERB, the United Patriots and Volya voted against or abstained.

Popov noted that Dobrev's resignation was a personal act and that it was the people, not Parliament, that was his employer. The Socialist MPs argued that this was an infringement of free will and of a person's freedom to choose what to do for a living.

Popov explained that should the Constitutional Court rule Parliament's decision unconstitutional, the MPs should again put Dobrev's resignation to the vote and accept it.