site.btaParliamentary Sitting Fails Due to Absence of Quorum

Parliamentary Sitting
Fails
Due to Absence of Quorum


Sofia, November 2 (BTA) - Friday's parliamentary sitting failed
due to absence of quorum.  On the first attempt, 110 MPs
registered of the 121 required, 114 on the second attempt and
115  on the third attempt.

The MPs of BSP for Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and
Freedoms (MRF) did not register.

The MPs were supposed to consider amendments to the Code of
Criminal Procedure and the Corporate Income Tax Act. Also
Question Tine was scheduled for Friday.

Speaking in the halls of Parliament, Danail Kirilov, head of the
 parliamentary legal affairs committee, said: "I would not like
to comment on the actions of the opposition but in any case the
violate the rules of procedure and should be penalized. Politics
 carries a lot of responsibility."

MPs wonТt receive their wages for the day for being absent
without a good reason.

United Patriots deputy floor leader Valentin Kassabov told
journalists that apparently the Bulgarian Socialist Party was on
 a course to destroy Bulgaria, while the MRF cared only about
their interests.

MP Plamen Hristov of Volya said: "We are here to work and this
is mockery. The work of Parliament should not be boycotted so
lightly as now the committees are discussing the smaller budget
bills within the 2019 state budget bill."  

MP Roumen Gechev of BSP for Bulgaria said that it was on
obligation of the incumbents to secure the quorum but obviously
there were insurmountable differences within the coalition as
MPs didnТt show up for work. Gechev also said that the BSP is
against the outrageous and non-European way of voting the
budget. Gechev said that the government wanted to rush in a week
 a budget which disburses 45 billion leva without heeding to the
 recommendations of the opposition.

Gechev said that the BSP would skip parliamentary sittings
unless Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov tendered his
resignation.

"If he doesn't resign, then obviously the whole government
should go," said Gechev.