site.btaPatriotic Front Will Not Participate in New Cabinet, May Support Government Programme

Patriotic Front Will Not Participate in
New Cabinet, May Support
Government Programme


Sofia, October 23 (BTA) - The political council of the Patriotic
Front (PF) coalition has decided that its political
representatives will not participate in the new government, PF
leader Valeri Simeonov said Thursday, after more than three
hours of consultations between GERB and the Patriotic Front on
the formation of a cabinet. Simeonov added, however, that his
coalition may support the new government by signing a programme
for stable governance.

Roumyana Buchvarova, who is on GERB's negotiating team, said
that they have discussed 94 specific proposals from the
Patriotic Front's programme, and described the consultations as
beneficial. "We agree on key matters, as well as on the specific
most important measures the next government should take
regarding [the troubled] Corporate Commercial Bank, financial
stability, the energy system," Buchvarova said, adding that her
party accepts PF's demand for an audit in the energy sector.

During the consultations, the two sides also discussed the
options of GERB receiving the Patriotic Front's support. "We
reach an understanding that this support can take the form of
signing a government programme," Buchvarova said. She added that
this support will not be at the price of and with the ultimatum
for personal participation in the new cabinet.

Simeonov said that his coalition and GERB agree to around 90 per
cent on the Patriotic Front's programme of 94 points. In his
words, the two political forces are possibly about to sign a
programme for stable governance.

PK/DS