site.btaBulgarian Justice Minister Resigns

Bulgarian Justice Minister  Resigns


Sofia, December 9 (BTA) - Bulgarian Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov announced his resignation in Parliament's debating chamber on Wednesday. The announcement came after the legislature refused to support constitutional revisions which he had proposed and which had to do with the distribution of the members in the Supreme Judicial Council, the body of top administrative authority in the judiciary, elected by Parliament and by the respective professional sector.

"The vote clearly showed what the majority is on this matter," said Ivanov.

He also said that the vote was an indication that what Bulgaria has is "a rule of the Prosecutor General", to use his words. "Due to this, it is with relief that I announce that I will no longer exercise the powers of Justice Minister and will do everything it takes to come down."

Speaking to the press in the corridors of Parliament later, he said that the Prime Minister had accepted his resignation as well as those of his three deputies.

"The over-empowerment of the Prosecutor General and the reluctance of the Bulgarian political class as a whole to look this issue in the eye was what depleted the political resource for me to make any further steps," Ivanov also told the press.

He was adamant that it was his own decision.

Immediately after Ivanov announced his resignation, Democrats for Strong Bulgaria leader and Reformist Bloc (RB) co-leader Radan Kanev said that as of this moment he considers himself a part of the opposition. He said he was "100 per cent sure" about his decision considering the behaviour of the GERB MPs in the plenary chamber on Wednesday. "From now on, the government of Mr [Boyko] Borissov cannot rely on my support in my personal capacity as an MP."

The other co-floor leader of the Reformist Bloc, Nayden Zelenogorski (Bulgaria for the Citizens) made a short comment saying it was not the Bloc's proposals that were betrayed but people's expectations.

Grozdan Karadjov (DSB) announced in the social media that he was stepping down as head of the parliamentary transport committee and becomes an opposition MP.

It remains unclear what position the whole RB will take and what the broader implications will be from the vote on the constituional changes. Radan Kanev suggested that making an official decision might take days. He also said that each one of the partner parties in the Bloc will make its own decision whether or not to withdraw its representatives in the government.

In addition to Kanev's Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, the RB also includes the Bulgaria for the Citizens Movement, the Union of Democratic Forces, the People's Party of Freedom and Dignity and the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union.

Their representatives in the government are Hristo Ivanov, Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva, Economy Minister Bozhidar Loukarski, Health Minister Peter Moskov, Education Minister Todor Tanev and Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev.

GERB deputy leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov commented for the press that the Justice Minister had always enjoyed support from the GERB deputies and his resignation was a personal choice.

He explained the GERB position during the controversial vote with an aspiration to consensus and said that Ivanov's proposal stood no chances to pass only on the votes of GERB and the RB.

Tsvetanov was adamant that today's events are not making GERB more politically dependent on the Movement for Rights and Freedoms or on the Prosecutor General.

Patriotic Front co-leader Krassimir Karakachanov does not expect the RB to walk out of the government coalition and sees nothing that puts to question the stability of this coalition or the government of Boyko Borissov.

He said the important thing now is what qualities Hristov Ivanov's successor will have.

ABV leader Georgi Purvanov commented that Hristo Ivanov was a stumbling bloc for the progress of the judicial reform. He does not expect his resignation to cause any shocks in the government coalition and said that his own party has no ambitions for office of the Justice Minister.

Speaking to the press in Parliament where she came to meet with the partners in the government coalition after Ivanov announced his resignation, Deputy Prime Minister Roumyana Buchvarova said that both the Reformist Bloc and GERB can nominate a successor for Ivanov's office.

Buchvarova, who is in charge of the coalition policy in the government, held separate meetings with Democrats for Strong Bulgaria and with Bulgaria for the Citizens. She said she had not discussed with any of them which party should nominate the next Justice Minister.

Buchvarova said that Borissov and Ivanov agree that the judicial reform must continue and evolve further through revisions in the Judiciary Act.

She does not expect "reformulation" of the coalition in the wake of the Wednesday events.