site.bta GERB, Patriotic Front Continue Political Consultations

GERB, Patriotic Front Continue Political Consultations

Sofia, June 12 (BTA) - Political consultations between the
Patriotic Front's Co-chairmen Valeri Simeonov and Krassimir
Karakachanov and GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov continued
in Parliament on Friday. Deputy Prime Minister for Coalition
Policy and Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova participated in
 them.

On June 30, the parliamentary group of the Patriotic Front (PF)
will announce its final decision about whether it will stay in
the ruling majority. The PF set seven conditions - part of its
programme - which it expects to be met by July 1. They include
urgent measures against conventional crime; revisions of the
Election Code (including compulsory voting and harsher sanctions
 against vote buying); extension of the fence along the border
with Turkey as a deterrent to illegal migrants; a commitment not
 to increase electricity prices; legislative measures to crack
down on illegal timber harvesting; making institutional
decisions to solve the problems of expatriate Bulgarians; and
immediate dismantling of all illegal houses in the Roma
neighbourhood of the southern village of Marchovo, Gurmen
Municipality

After the meeting Simeonov and Karakachanov stated that real
dialogue with GERB on the PF's programme started after the party
 announced its conditions. Simeonov said that GERB is willing to
 solve the seven serious problems which pre-date Boyko
Borissov's cabinet. "We saw serious commitment on the part of
Tsvetanov and the ministers, and hopefully we will get a good
answer on June 30," he added.

On Wednesday the PF leaders received a 40-page reply from
Tsvetanov about their conditions. Then as well as on Friday,
Tsvetanov stressed that he did not view them as an ultimatum and
 pledged to arrange meetings with the ministers responsible for
the individual problems. He said that more details were
discussed on Friday.

The PF talked with representatives of the Regional Development
Ministry on Thursday and with the Interior Minister on Friday.
On Tuesday the parties of the government coalition will discuss
active registration and Election Code revisions, some of which
have been proposed by the PF.

Karakachanov said the Interior Ministry had planned certain
measures to combat conventional crime. Reorganizing police work
and other sectors will be discussed around June 25. He recalled
that the PF wants to see a real concept for the combating of
organized crime by the end of June. The new 60-km stretch of
what he described as an "anti-migration facility" along the
border with Turkey has been designed and now financing is
needed, said Karakachanov.