site.btaParliamentary Groups Spell Out Priorities during New Legislative Session

Parliamentary Groups Spell Out  Priorities during New Legislative Session

Sofia, August 31 (BTA) - Parliament is back to work Wednesday after its summer recess. On the first day of the new session the parliamentary groups presented their priorities.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party - Left Bulgaria have moved for giving a hearing to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on his recent visits to Turkey and Germany but the majority voted down the motion. Tsacheva promised to invite the Prime Minister to the debating chamber the soonest possible.

GERB: Border security is top priority

The key priority of GERB will be adoption of bills and legal amendments guaranteeing the border security, GERB Deputy Chairman Tsvetan Tsvetanov said. In his words, Bulgaria is in "a delicate situation and people should be able to trust the government and the experts".

Tsvetanov further stressed that GERB will also continue its legislative work in respect of the judicial reform. Another priority will be the measures connected with the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the European Council.

Energy diversification, strengthening the capacity of the armed forces, deepening the international cooperation in the area of security are other steps towards stability and towards enhancing the national sovereignty which GERB will continue to follow, Tsvetanov said.

Commenting the November 6 presidential elections, Tsvetanov said that he would like to see how the future president of Bulgaria is perceived, even now, as a viable and good statesman or stateswoman, instead of as a political figure of the party who has won the campaign race.

Reformist Bloc: New political season on the backdrop of international instability and national security risks

Bulgaria ushers in the new political season at the background of international instability and risks to its national security unprecedented in the past three decades, Reformist Bloc (RB) Radan Kanev co-leader said.

The RB categorically rejects the policy for bilateral arrangements with Turkey on issues concerning the common European policy and the resignation with which Bulgaria accepts for granted the positions of the EU and NATO, or of separate leading member states of the two, when these positions do not protect well enough Bulgaria's interest.

Kanev went on to say that Bulgaria's foreign policy priorities are clear and attainable, and the question rather is whether there is strength, courage and will to pursue them.

"We have warned on many occasions that the failure to ensure rule of law in this country threatens internal security. We have now reached the bitter conclusion that sham reforms in Bulgaria invite sham solidarity from its partners," Kanev said. In his words, Bulgaria's EU membership has been transformed into a source of financing the national budget, and it is now obvious that "this money cannot buy security, upstanding border police, uncorrupted magistrates or trust".

"Europe will survive the current crisis but from it Bulgaria must emerge as a member of the Eurozone and the Schengen area rather than a country in the periphery of an ever more consolidated union," Kanev said.

Speaking to the press in the corridors of Parliament, the Reformist Bloc's parliamentary secretary Dimiter Delchev said that the priorities of the group in the new political season are the fight against corruption, the education and health reform, improving the business climate, efficient defence and security.

Bulgarian Socialist Party vow to offer viable alternative

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Chairperson and floor leader Kornelia Ninova said that for her party the new parliamentary session will be "a session of the alternative, of showing an alternative path of development of this country, both internally and externally".

BSP supports Bulgaria's European future, Ninova said, adding that Europe needs a change which should be seen in better consideration for the national interest of each country. Ninova accused the incumbents of "having turned the Bulgarian foreign policy into a courier service between Ankara and Berlin". She said that international agreements and two judgements of the Bulgarian court have been violated in the extradition of foreign nationals. "Bulgaria has had bosses in Brussels, does it now have one more in Ankara," Ninova asked.

The BSP leader urged for starting "in essence" a discussion of the presidential institution. In Ninova's words, the parties and society need to unite "in a common front against election rigging and vote buying in which practices the incumbents are masters".

Movement for Rights and Freedoms: Snap elections after presidential vote

The topmost political goal of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) is early parliamentary elections after the November presidential elections, said floor leader Mustafa Karadaya.

He said that the start of the new parliamentary session comes amid a bad security crisis, lack of a clear vision for the future - of Bulgaria, the Balkans, Europe and the world.

Karadaya believes that this Parliament is unable to produce the stable political majority this country needs.

He said that Bulgaria should have an active role in the processes in the region and Europe.

MRF views the upcoming presidential elections as a part of a process of re-formatting the political configuration and stabilizing the state institutions in Bulgaria. "The presidential elections are the beginning of a new government of Bulgaria," the MRF floor leader said.

As for the migration crisis, the worst migrant flow that the next government needs to stop is that of Bulgarian citizens leaving their country for economic reasons.

ABV: Critical areas need change of policy and ministerial replacement

ABV will remain the opposition that Bulgaria needs: not destructive and devoid of ideas but one that is ready to pursue national accord on important issues and to offer realistic alternatives, said deputy floor leader Mariana Todorova.

She criticized the government for losing momentum in its work on important issues. "Areas including security, foreign policy, health care, education, energy, business development have entered a critical stage and need a fast change of policy, including ministers," Todorova said.

She reiterated her party's position in favour of changing the form of government in Bulgaria from a parliamentary republic to a presidential republic.

ABV criticized frequent legislative changes and piece-meal legislating.

They also raised the issue of the expired terms of the leaderships of regulatory bodies.

They deplored that a draft declaration on non-participation of Bulgaria in new military formations and military actions in Southeast Europe and the Black Sea, that they had submitted, has not reached the debating chamber.

Patriotic Front: Border security comes first

The Patriotic Front (PF) calls for guaranteing the security of the national border by completing the border fence to the Black Sea and deploying additional police and army personnel, said co-floor leader Valeri Simeonov.

He said that the Parliament and the government must say clearly that force may be used to keep away "the migrant crowds" from Bulgarian territory.

Simeonov said that the Patriotic Front appreciated the efforts of the government in standing up for the national interests before the EU partners amid the migrant crisis and supports the demands that Bulgaria be treated equally with the other two countries experiencing strong migrant pressure: Italy and Greece.

The PF finds inadmissible an increase of the price of electricity and calls for termination of the electricity-purchase contracts with two US-owned power plants, AES Maritsa East 1 and ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3, which they describe as "disadvantageous".

They also find inadmissible the resuscitation of long-dead energy projects.

Simeonov vowed that his party will continue fighting petty crime.

Ataka calls for leaving behind political bickering, urge unity at time of crisis

In his statement Ataka floor leader Volen Siderov said that at a time of crisis, of war, infighting is useless. Instead, politicians must unite around a policy which does it best to protect Bulgaria.

Siderov described as "very alarming" plans to relocate nuclear weapons from Turkey to Romania. The Ataka leader said that Parliament will earn people's respect if it resolves that dangerous weapons are not to pass via Bulgaria's territory.

Siderov also said that now there is such a pile-up of troops and military equipment at the eastern border of the EU that has not been seen "since Hitler's time". He voiced regret that the topic is being eschewed by the Bulgarian and the European media.

Siderov said that Ataka works for a president with a clear patriotic mindset and "a person who will not listen to bosses outside Bulgaria".

Bulgrian Democratic Centre - Popular Union (BDC-PU)

BDC-PU calls on the parliamentary parties not to follow their ideological friends to the East and West, or their phobias and political interests but only the interest of Bulgaria and the stability in the region, said co-floor leader Roumen Yonchev.
 
This group expects the government and the Justice Minister to move revisions to the codes of procedure.

BDC wants to see increased budget appropriations for the security sector, more reforms in the economy and a balanced foreign policy.

Their priorities also include the demographic crisis in Bulgaria and legislation connected with health care, the energy sector and the economy.