site.btaNew 2020 Session of 44th National Assembly Beginswith Declarations from Parliamentary Groups

ESD 13:36:32 15-01-2020
DT1334ES.105
105 POLITICS - PARLIAMENT - MONITOR

New 2020 Session
of 44th National Assembly Begins
with Declarations from Parliamentary Groups


Sofia, January 15 (BTA) - The new session of the 44th National Assembly for 2020 began Wednesday, marked by the anthems of Bulgaria and Europe. Parliamentary groups issued their traditional declarations early in the session.

GERB

The coming year will not be an election year and in this time the ruling party will work on changes to the Election Code and the Political Parties Act, which will be ready in the first half of the year, said GERB's parliamentary group chair Daniela Daritkova.

She noted that GERB will continue to promote education as a major and long-term priority of governance throughout this session. "We will also work to reach agreement on the construction of modern water and ecological infrastructure," Daritkova added.


Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)

BSP party leader Kornelia Ninova said that the BSP's main goal is working to overthrow the current cabinet and administration.

"Nearly half a million Bulgarians are under a water restriction regime, water prices have increased three times in the past ten years, Bulgaria has become a dumping ground for foreign trash," Ninova pointed out, adding that "the international and the Bulgarian mafia make their blood money at the expense of Bulgarian people's health, right under their noses, and perhaps with their complicity, judging by the recent actions of the prosecution towards Bulgarian authorities".

"The road toll system has been postponed again and is about to fail, African swine fever has re-emerged, there are warnings about an increase in bread prices, local taxes have increased in many municipalities," the left-wing leader added.


Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF)

"It is high time to make it clear that GERB has no more excuses left. They have been in power for ten years now and the grave and serious problems which our whole society is facing are GERB's fault alone," said MRF head Mustafa Karadayi.

Karadayi noted that both of the current crises, in the water sector and in health care, were expected to happen because these sectors remained unreformed. He was adamant that the lack of reform and the lack of a clear vision cannot be offset by personal changes in government.

The MRF leader believes that Bulgaria's strategic priority needs to be accelerating its development in order to catch-up to the EU average. The MRF supports clean food, clean air, clean water, clean energy, noted Karadayi.


United Patriots Coalition

"We do not intend to leave the government, not because governing is our endgame or because we are particularly pleased with our partners, but because if we leave, the MRF will enter," said United Patriots co-chair Iskren Veselinov in his speech.

Veselinov also mentioned the Pernik water crisis, saying that there are many people responsible, who are above all guilty of many years of inaction.

"Our absolute priority will be the socialization of marginalized Gypsy communities," Veselinov said. "That is why we need to adopt a new concept, which we are demanding from the Council of Ministers," he added, noting that the main "weapon" should be education. That's why the United Patriots are pushing for compulsory pre-school education from the age of 4 and for paying the kindergarten fee from the state budget, he said.

Veselinov also pointed out that countering domestic crime and raising incomes remain a priority of United Patriots.


Volya - Bulgarian Patriots

"Volya will continue to be a constructive opposition in this Parliament," said the parliamentary group's representative Boryana Georgieva. "We will support all ideas that lead to improving the well-being of people and we will illuminate those who serve behind the scenes," she noted.

"And in this session we will continue to uphold the interest of every Bulgarian citizen and be intransigent to attempts at passing poor quality legislation and lobbyist laws," added Georgieva. RY/DT
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