site.btaExtraordinary Parliamentary Sitting Fails Due to Absence of Quorum

Extraordinary Parliamentary Sitting Fails Due to Absence of Quorum

Sofia, October 14 (BTA) - An extraordinary parliamentary sitting on Friday failed to take place following three unsuccessful quorum calls. On the third call 95 MPs of the required minimum of 121 registered.

Acting Parliament Speaker Dimiter Glavchev scheduled the next parliamentary sitting for November 9.

The extraordinary sitting has been scheduled for Friday on a motion of 51 MPs from BSP-Left Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). On the agenda were the repeal of a decision to suspend Parliament's work in the run-up to the presidential elections, a draft resolution on the EU-Canada trade agreement, Question Time and a hearing of the Energy Minister and the management of the Babino mines in connection with the miners' protests over back wages.

Speaking to journalists, MRF leader Mustafa Karadayi said that in view of the absence of a ruling majority early parliamentary elections were the best way out of the situation in order to secure a new, homogenous parliamentary majority. Karadayi said that the ruling majority is responsible for securing the quorum and that it made no sense for the opposition to be at work. The opposition will make a new attempt to collect signatures and will take advantage of all possibilities for calling an extraordinary siting. "If this fails, early parliamentary elections are the best alternative," said Karadayi.

Grozdan Karadjov of the Civil Council of the Reformist Bloc speculated that the decision of GERB, the Patriotic Front and Ataka to boycott the sitting may be due to a scenario, where they would seek destabilization, disbandment of the legislature and early elections.

He said there was a huge discrepancy between GERB's words and actions. "GERB wants stability only on paper, while in fact it looks to stir civil unrest and protests outside Parliament," said Karadzhov. The absence of GERB, the Patriotic Front and Ataka is a very dangerous game with the people who are to vote in the elections, warned Karadzhov. He recalled that the citizens expected from the politicians to amend the Election Code in relation to the limited numbers of polling stations abroad and the none of the above ballot option that have been made pointless.

"With our absence from Parliament, we won't give them a vent to show a yellow or a red card to the political class and afterwards we should expect them to turn up in the streets," said Karadzhov.