site.btaGERB, United Patriots Agree to Have a Government for Full Term with Boyko Borissov as PM

GERB, United Patriots Agree to Have a Government for Full Term with Boyko Borissov as PM

Sofia, April 4 (BTA) - GERB and the United Patriots agreed Tuesday that they will have a government with "a clear mandate of four years" and GERB leader Boyko Borissov as Prime Minister. This was decided at the first official meeting between the two formations in Parliament held as GERB tries to form a government coalition.

Emerging from the talks that lasted about an hour, United Patriots co-leader Volen Siderov said that the ministerial seats in the government were not discussed - only the programme the government will work on.

One more round of talks will be held before the end of this week.

The participants in the meeting would not say when they expect to be ready with the government lineup.

"We are optimistic. The talks are constructive," said Siderov. He would not say whether it will be a two- or three-party member coalition government, or whether GERB will have separate agreement with each of the United Patriots parties: Siderov's Ataka, the IMRO of Krassimir Karakachanov and the National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria of Valeri Simeonov.

The meeting was part of the talks of the GERB on a government coalition. GERB said Monday that they would have talks with everybody but the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which practically leaves only the United Patriots and Volya to discuss a government coalition with.

GERB hope that the new government will be ready by the end of this month at the latest.

Earlier, Valeri Simeonov called for a government with a Prime Minister other than Boyko Borissov but GERB called the idea "unthinkable".