site.btaCouncil for Development Holds Its First Meeting, Finds No Political Differences between Coalition Partners

Council for Development Holds Its First Meeting, Finds No Political Differences between Coalition Partners


Sofia, January 23 (BTA) - At its first meeting on Friday, the
Council for Development found no political differences between
the coalition partners at present, Deputy Prime Minister for
Coalition Policy and Public Administration Roumyana Buchvarova
told journalists Friday.

The Council for Development is the discussion format which will
coordinate the coalition partners' positions, Buchvarova said.
"We agreed that the Council will meet once a month, or more
frequently if positions need to be coordinated," she added.

The Council for Development reviewed the Governance Programme
for Stable Development of the Republic of Bulgaria (2014-2018),
which was adopted by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, and
supported it as a document corresponding to the principles and
priorities set in the programme declaration signed upon the
Government's constitution. The Governance Programme is long and
detailed, with 1,155 specific measures, and has been published
on the Cabinet's website. A plan for the programme's
implementation will be elaborated next month, Buchvarova said.

The Council for Development also discussed the Government's
cadre policy and agreed that there should be a mechanism for
coordinating the appointments so as to achieve balance in the
Cabinet and guarantee that a given nominee is the best choice
for the corresponding position. Buchvarova explained that the
Council will not make political appointments but offer a format
for coordination that will assist the responsible bodies in
finding and nominating the best candidates at the level of state
agencies, commissions and territorial structures.

On a proposal by Regional Development Minister Liliyana Pavlova,
changes will be made in the legislation whereby a requirement
will be set in place for competitive appointment of the leaders
of territorial structures. This will end the practice of direct
party appointments and will ensure a higher quality of the
managerial staff, she added.

Buchvarova said that the Council for Development also discussed
the progress of the pension reform and private pension funds.

Buchvarova said that the government ministers and parties in the
coalition will be encouraged to propose issues from their
agenda for discussion within the Council for Development.

Taking a reporter's question, she said that the Government has
no intention to control the news media: they have to stay
independent and the State has no reason to interfere in their
development. "The Government Programme has some measures for
improving the public environment. When the news media use EU
funding, the Government should spell out requirements that will
guarantee that the money goes to media outlets which have actual
users and show integrity," she commented.

"The only change in the programme from Wednesday is the
inclusion of the Juncker Plan. Also, implementation of the South
Stream project also features there because it is not officially
abandoned," the Deputy Prime Minister commented.