site.btaBSP Pulls Out of Coalition Talks with ABV Ahead of Presidential Elections

BSP Pulls Out of Coalition Talks with ABV Ahead of Presidential Elections

Sofia, August 23 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) announced Tuesday that it is pulling out of the talks with ABV for a coalition for the presidential elections. The announcement was made by BSP leader Kornelia Ninova after a meeting of the party Executive Board and came less than a week after the two parties' leaders agreed to nominate former Air Force Commander Roumen Radev (Ret.) as their common presidential candidate and the decision was endorsed separately by the two parties.

"We decided not to continue the talks with ABV on a coalition for the presidential elections," Ninova said. She explained that the decision was prompted by a draft coalition agreement proposed by ABV. It transpired from her remarks that ABV demanded a role for themselves in the coalition which BSP found undue.

"We do not accept that we are equal parties and that our presidential candidate is equidistant," she said. She insisted that Radev is BSP's candidate and BSP insists that they should be heading the coalition.

"We will not allow to have our arms twisted," Ninova added.

She explained that the latest polls gauge BSP's clout among Bulgarian voters at 17 per cent while ABV have 1.7 and any coalition formula should reflect that. She further said that BSP found unacceptable ABV's proposals for a composition of a coalition board, coalition leadership and campaign HQs as they fail to reckon with the support that BSP and ABV command among the electorate.

Ninova also said that BSP disagree with ABV's project for replacing the parliamentary republic that Bulgaria currently is, with a presidential republic - now or later.

BSP will propose Radev's nomination for support by a broad initiative committee and said that ABV are free to join in, if they want.

BSP is convoking a meeting with its partners from the BSP-Left Bulgaria coalition on Thursday and then a meeting of its National Council on August 30.

In a brief comment on BSP's decision, ABV deputy leader Ivaylo Kalfin said it is the day that Socialists lost the presidential elections. "It was their own decision and action," he commented on his way into the party headquarters.