site.btaPM Sees Plot against Government, Bulgaria's Entry in Euro Waiting Room

Sofia, July 10 (BTA) - At an extraordinary news conference
Friday morning held after an evening of protests in Sofia
against the Prosecutor General and himself, Prime Minister Boyko
 Borissov said there is a plot against the government and
against Bulgaria's entry in the euro waiting room and the
Banking Union.

The protests Thursday were prompted by searches and two arrests
at the President's Office: of the President's security advisor
Iliya Miloushev and his legal affairs and anti-corruption
secretary Plamen Ouzounov. The former was remanded for
disclosing a state secret and the latter for trading in
influence. The entry of armed law-enforcers in the President's
Office caused an outcry and brought together in the street
supporters of the Left and Right of the political spectrum to
protest the actions of the prosecution.

Lawyers commented in the news media that the immunity of the
President includes himself, his communication and his offices.

The opposition non-parliamentary Democratic Bulgaria had one
more reason to protest: their leader Hristo Ivanov tried to
embark on a public beach which is adjacent to a property known
to be used as the summer residence of Movement for Rights and
Freedoms (MRF) founder Ahmed Dogan but was pushed off by
bodyguards of the National Service for Protection (NSP) assigned
 to protect Dogan. Ivanov said the purpose of their
beach-embarcation project was to show that Bulgarian people are
not allowed to use a piece of land that belongs to them and that
 Dogan enjoys some kind of privileged status which includes
violation of the law. The Ivanov incidence was livestreamed on
Facebook and attracted some 1 million views.

Because the bodyguards refused to identify themselves during the
 clash with Ivanov and would not say whether or not they were
with the NSP, President Radev made a statement the next day
confirming that they were NSP detail. He also said that while he
 has formal control over this service, the real control is with
the executive power branch.

The Prime Minister denied that and said Friday that the NSP is
under the exclusive control of the President.

He also said that thus service is part of the plot against the
government and that the leader of the opposition Democratic
Bulgaria, Hristo Ivanov, allowed to be dragged into it, as well.

"I have a request to all of them: Please, don't! This is going
to be a very tough year for the country and consensus is needed
more than ever," said Borissov.

It, however, transpired on Friday morning that GERB is
organizing a counter-protest on Friday evening outside the
President's Office. NV/LN