site.btaTISP Leader Trifonov: TISP Will Not Support Government on Third Cabinet-Forming Mandate

August 14 (BTA) - The leader of There is Such a People
(TISP), Slavi Trifonov, Saturday reiterated on Bulgarian
National Radio that his party will not support a government on
the third cabinet-forming mandate, which under the Constitution
President Rumen Radev has to hand either to the Bulgarian
Socialist Party (BSP), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms,
Democratic Bulgaria or Rise Up BG! Here We Come! Even if the
head of State calls for a government formed on the third mandate
 to be supported, TISP will not do so, Trifonov stressed.

On August 10, TISP refused to seek parliamentary approval for
their cabinet proposal after Democratic Bulgaria, Rise Up BG!
and the BSP all said they would not vote in favour of TISP's
proposal. Under the Constitution, President Radev now has to
hand a second cabinet-forming mandate to the second largest
parliamentary group, GERB-UDF. If they decline the mandate, as
GERB-UDF have already announced they will, the head of State
will have to hand a third mandate to one of the remaining four
parliamentary groups.

"I think we did everything possible to form a government on
TISP's mandate. We reached an agreement on almost all items [on
the agenda of the meetings with other parliamentary groups over
the part three weeks] and they had the opportunity to act
honorably and nationally responsibly and support us, so that we
could form a government [but they did not]. I see no reason why
it should be the other way around this time," Trifonov said.

On topics such as judicial reform, indexation of pensions, and
the COVID-19 crisis, TISP's positions overlapped at nearly 100
per cent with those of Rise Up BG! and Democratic Bulgaria. In
his words, the differences concern not so much what has to
happen but how it will happen. It turned out that Democratic
Bulgaria and Rise Up BG! suddenly began to make inadequate and
unacceptabe demands, he noted adding that Democratic Bulgaria
leader Hristo Ivanov demanded to have a say on all members of
the new government. At some point it became impossible to form a
 cabinet due to the lack of partnership attitude, Trifonov
explained.

During their meetings at the level of experts, the BSP behaved
honorably, professionally and adequately, while Rise Up BG! and
Democratic Bulgaria reacted in an entirely different manner, the
 TISP leader said. "The whole opportunity to form a government
fell apart," he added.
 
In his words, TISP have 65 MPs, so there are 175 other MPs
capable of forming a government on the second or third mandate,
of acting nationally responsibly and doing everything necessary.
 "On the third mandate there is a possibility for everyone to
unite and support each other, to form a government [...] and
implement their project and plans," Trifonov said.

Trifonov also reiterated that TISP will back President Radev for
 a second term in office in the upcoming presidential elections
this autumn.

RI/DS

/ДЛ/