site.btaBorissov Presents to Kuneva Signed Annex to Coalition Agreement

Borissov Presents to Kuneva Signed Annex to Coalition Agreement

Sofia, February 26 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov presented a signed annex to the coalition agreement between GERB and the Reformist Bloc to Meglena Kuneva, leader of the Bulgaria for the Citizens Movement, which is part of the Bloc.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament, Kuneva said this was a great political gesture.

Borissov's is the only signature for the time being. The leaders of the Reformist Bloc parties are expected to decide shortly whether they will sign as well.

The proposal for the annex came from Kuneva's BCM party, which wanted it to set out the government priorities for the next six months, with an emphasis on accelerated reforms.

Negotiations on the wording of the agreement had been going on for about a month.
It was agreed that fast and tangible steps and deadlines were needed in the judicial reform, education, health care, administration, the energy sector and economic development.

The memorandum is open for signing, said Kuneva, who is deputy prime minister, recalling that all who wanted to work on the document did so and the Bloc was broadly represented. "In fact, none of my colleagues from the member parties and the non-party quota of the Reformist Bloc has raised questions about its content," Kuneva said. The memorandum becomes an annex to the coalition agreement, she added, but did not say whether the document would be valid if some of the Bloc's members refused to sign it.

The Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party was against the annex from the start. After the passage of constitutional amendments on a second of three readings on December 9 and justice minister Hristo Ivanov's resignation, leader Radan Kanev announced the DSB withdrew its confidence from Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's cabinet and went into opposition.

Besides the BCM and the DSB, the Reformist Bloc's other members are the Union of Democratic Forces, the People's Party of Freedom and Dignity and the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union.

Kuneva said: "We should not presume a negative result. I hope everyone will sign it. Moreover, all parties are represented in the government. When one has made a commitment to the government, one should honour it and particularize [after the first year] every part of the main document - the original coalition agreement."