site.btaConsultative Council on National Security Leaves Door Open for Government to Be Formed by Present Parliament

Consultative Council on National Security Leaves Door Open for Government to Be Formed by Present Parliament

Sofia, November 29 (BTA) - A meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) under the President Tuesday left the door open for a new government to be formed by this Parliament instead of have a caretaker government appointed by the President. President Rosen Plevneliev reiterated his call to the political parties to find a format to establish a government and the largest forces in the legislature, the currently ruling GERB and the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) remained firm on their position to not participate in a new cabinet.

The CCNS meeting focused on the current political situation and measures for ending the political crisis after Boyko Borissov's cabinet resigned in the wake of a loss of the candidate of his ruling GERB party in the recent presidential elections.

With the two largest parties declining a mandate to form a government, the President has the option of making a third attempt by giving a government mandate to a party of his choice from those sitting in Parliament - or else form a caretaker government.

Emerging from the meeting, the President said that he urged the parties to leave behind their narrow party interests and try find an acceptable government format.

Plevneliev said that he still believes that the present Parliament has not used up its potential and can do "a lot of meaningful things for this country". "I will do my best to find a way to keep this Parliament going and capable of forming a working government", the President said.

He said that he will present the third exploratory mandate for a government after "giving it a serious though, consultations and talks with those who have the biggest chance to form a government".

On Friday, he will present the first government mandate, to GERB.

Plevneliev said that a principled agreement has been reached to hold early general elections in late March to early April and that picking the specific date is his exclusive right.

He warned that if changes to the election legislation are rushed, the country will be plunged into lasting instability.

PM Borissov: Today's meeting produced no results

Outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said after the CCNS meeting: "I can be prime minister only on GERB's mandate after an election victory for GERB. Anyone who wants to form a government during this Parliament term must name a prime minister and ministers and shoulder the responsibility."

Borissov said Tuesday's meeting did not produce any results and was more like a political consultation. He said he had expected President-elect Rumen Radev to attend and state his views.

On Monday Radev declined Plevneliev's invitation.

"Everyone now has been talking against the outcome of the referendum [on the election rules], while before it took place it was said to be an excellent thing. No one bothered to explain the risks because [the referendum] was a fad and it was against me and GERB," Borissov commented. "Now they have to say they are actually against it and want us all together to be against, but with 2.5 million voters in favour we must bring about change."

BSP: The present Parliament has spent its potential

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) believes that the present Parliament has run out of potential and early parliamentary elections should be held on March 26, leader Kornelia Ninova said. "If the BSP receives a mandate to form a government, we will return it promptly; if a third parliamentary force is given a mandate, we will stay in opposition in this Parliament," she said.

At the CCNS meeting, Ninova raised the issue of refugees and migration, urging the government to introduce its planned measures in Parliament.