site.btaRadan Kanev Resigns as Reformist Bloc Spokesman

Sofia, August 4 (BTA) - Radan Kanev, Chairman of the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, resigned as spokesman for the Reformist Bloc at Monday's meeting of its Executive Board and Citizens' Board.

In a media release Kanev said his decision was prompted by the erosion of what he said was the Bloc's "fragile unity". "The Reformist Bloc's image as a united, new political alliance was replaced by the image of a traditional multi-party coalition with diverse, often disparate interests," said Kanev.

The Executive Board is showing a lasting inability to formulate a strong, convincing common policy, according to Kanev. It is questionable that the Reformist Bloc has a common political will, in contrast to ad hoc interests and balances devoid of political substance.

The Bloc's common future is not supported by some of the partners in the coalition, which casts a doubt on the unity of its parliamentary group immediately after the elections, said Kanev, referring to the October 5 early parliamentary elections.

The Citizens' Board is isolated and delegitimized by some parties' leaderships.

The Reformist Bloc lacks joint positioning in the pre- and post-election period and a statement of shared goals of parliamentary conduct. Parties enter into separate commitments for pre- and post-election conduct. This process culminated in a direct commitment to support the update of the national budget made at the August 1 meeting with the President, said Kanev. He added that this faced the Bloc's Executive Board with a fait accompli.

Kanev was referring to statements by the Reformist Bloc's Meglena Kuneva and Bozhidar Loukarski, leaders of Bulgaria for the Citizens and the Union of Democratic Forces, respectively, who indicated at the meeting with President Rosen Plevneliev that the Bloc could support the 2014 budget update.

Kanev said: "Under the circumstances the Bloc's will is shaped through contacts between some of the party leaderships and GERB, and [GERB leader] Boyko Borissov is in charge of the Bloc's leadership."

Kanev said that due to this, the Reformist Bloc cannot achieve its short-term goal - to provide an alternative to the present parliamentary parties and consolidate all Bulgarian voters who do not want the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the Bulgarian Socialist Party to participate in government, or Boyko Borissov and GERB to run the country on their own. "The Reformist Bloc cannot achieve its long-term goals either, such as serious reforms in justice, the administration and the social sphere," said Kanev.

In his view, these goals are attainable only if the Reformist Bloc unconditionally consolidates its unity and participates responsibly, on an equal footing, in a reformist right-wing government.

Kanev said: "Without boldly and clearly identifying the problems, without a categorical change in internal relations and external positioning, the Reformist Bloc will head for the elections lying to the voters and will betray them when it enters the next parliament. This is a price of the participation in government which I am not ready to pay."

Kanev stressed in conclusion that it was not too late for the Reformist Bloc to return to the path mapped out in July 2013 by the Principles of Unification of the parties making up the Bloc. "We are the hope of more than half a million Bulgarian citizens who want a change and a worthy life for themselves and their children. We have no right to dash their hope and leave them with no alternative at the early parliamentary elections."