site.btaParliament Opens Spring Session

Parliament Opens Spring  Session

Sofia, January 13 (BTA) - Parliament Wednesday opened its spring session after the Christmas recess. The political parties made opening statements.

GERB

Tsvetan Tsvetanov, floor leader of GERB, the main partner in the ruling coalition, said that the party will press on with reforms. "Our governance neither replaces nor downplays its reformist intentions because they have no alternative," Tsvetanov said. He said that GERB intends to bring the reforms to their end, together with the partners it started out with. At the same time, he said that GERB will look for like-minded people "among the sober-minded part of the opposition".

Tsvetanov said that stability is the byword that defines GERB's political intentions. GERB has proven itself as a party that seeks collective and consensual work of the incumbent Parliament which disproves the allegations for fresh snap elections.

Tsvetanov urged the MPs to focus on bills "of public and national interest", such as the anti-corruption law.

GERB's floor leader outlined the party's political and legislative priorities, which include the creation of a solid base for employment and growth, attention to the problems of unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, liberalization of the energy market, diversification of the sources of energy supplies, overcoming the deficit in the National Electricity company, more effective spending of budget resources, improving the business climate, reducing the administrative burden, better absorption of EU funding, and the legal reform.

Reformist Bloc

The Reformist Bloc stated that the unity of the government majority is key to success. Co-floor Leader Nayden Zelenogorski officially asked GERB to sign an annex to the coalition agreement which will guarantee the priorities, pace, scope and periodic assessment of the reforms achieved so far.

In its second year the government should accelerate reforms and results in key public sectors, including the judiciary, the system of anti-corruption measures, health care, education, energy, election legislation, the pension system and administration. 

The Bloc is in favour of a broad public debate on further constitutional amendments.

The Reformist Bloc will also bring about a public debate on changes in the Election Code to introduce remote electronic voting, machine vote counting,  a standing election administration and active registration, and dealing with "padded" electoral rolls.

The Reformist Bloc will work towards expediting administrative and pension reform and a national electronic health card.

The Bloc will use economic growth and tax performance as a measure of economic success. Its ambition is to seek more resolute reforms and strong action in the national interest regarding the migrant wave, the Schengen area, the protection of the EU's external border, and Bulgaria's energy independence. 

Patriotic Front

The Patriotic Front singled out its priorities for the new session of Parliament, including Election Code amendments to introduce compulsory voting or active registration and an educational qualification and put an end to "election tourism", and simplified administrative procedures in support of small and medium-sized businesses. The declaration read out by Valeri Simeonov called for speedy adoption of legislation cancelling the long-term contracts with the US-owned thermal power plants AES Maritza East 1 and ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3. The Patriotic Front also wants the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission to cancel the contracts with green power stations and heating utilities which do not comply with the regulations; as well as to lower the electricity prices for businesses, and if the results are positive, for households.

Other priorities include a reform of the Interior Ministry, completion of the fence along the border with Turkey, and further reforms of the judiciary and health care.

ABV

Coping with the demographic crisis is the top priority of the ABV group, its Floor Leader Borislav Borissov said. ABV will design a comprehensive scheme for the structuring, functioning and financing of an investment fund for starting new manufacturing businesses. Job creation is the best social policy, said Borissov.

Pension reform and the amendments to the Constitution are Parliament's two major law-making achievements in 2015, according to ABV. Constructive dialogue is essential to every successful legislative decision.

Bulgarian Socialist Party

Opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) floor leader and party Chairman Mihail Mikov said that BSP's priorities are progressive taxation, differentiated VAT and "looking for social solutions".

Dwelling on the migratory pressure, Mikov noted that Bulgaria's government still does not have a clear position about the place of this country in the process, including how much money it will pay in the 3 billion euro package the EU agreed with Turkey and how many resettled refugees the country will accept. The BSP floor leader said that the party will be extremely insistent on the clarification of these matters and also on Bulgaria's having an active position in the discussions on the revision of the Dublin Agreements.

Mikov said that at the moment no clear direction is apparent in this country's foreign policy so that BSP will come up with alternatives all the time. He also noted that the internal political situation is no less concerning. "We witness flagrant impudent killings and inability to cope with conventional crime in smaller towns and villages," Mikov said.

The BSP floor leader said that this year marks the 25th anniversary of Bulgaria's new Constitution and that his party will vehemently champion the three fundamental principles of Bulgaria's being a democratic and social country governed by the rule of law.

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF)

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) stated categorically that it is an independent Bulgarian, systemic, secular, democratic, Euro-Atlantic party in a declaration read out by Co-floor Leader Chetin Kazak. The MRF is the first pro-NATO party in Bulgaria and the most ardent proponent of EU membership. The party will follow a Euroliberal path consistently and steadfastly.

The MRF urged all political forces to meet the new global challenges, especially the migrant crisis and regional conflicts, wisely and responsibly. The party strongly condemns all forms of terrorism around the world in recent months, including Tuesday's terror attack in Istanbul.

The MRF called the government's performance so far "ineffective". The disproportionately large representation of the Reformist Bloc in the government creates the misimpression of a major nationally responsible effort and undermines GERB's will and effectiveness.

The MRF is adamant that the participation of extreme nationalist parties in government disrupts Bulgaria's Euro-Atlantic development and erodes fundamental democratic values.

Ataka

This is the beginning of a meaningless political season in a Parliament which is not making the decisions, said Ataka leader Volen Siderov. "Reforms are made by free people in a free country," he said implying that this is not the case in Bulgaria.

He also said that the power-holders in Bulgaria are being irresponsible to the geopolitical realities. "We are faced with a risk of escalating conflict between Turkey and Russia and only one of the parties in Bulgaria reacts by replacing its leader - but this is not enough," he said.

He pointed to the migrant flow as the Number One threat for Europe.

Siderov's New Year wish for his colleagues in Parliament was, first, not to see the world through bars - maybe referring to his own experience of being charged with an offence - and, second, not to become the victim of a hitman, which was an apparent reference to the killing of two prominent businessmen last week.

Bulgarian Democratic Centre

The Interior Ministry lacks a reform vision for the security sector, said MP Svetlin Tanchev in a declaration on behalf of his group. He added that the police protests last year showed the inefficiency of spending by the Ministry.

He aso said that Bulgaria is failing to capitalize on its EU membership as it tries to handle the migration flow - unlike Turkey which has managed to secure financial aid without even being an associated member.

Among the priorities of this group in the new political season will be the Code of Civil Procedure to scrap the admissibility procedure at the Supreme Court of Cassation.

They also see a need to revise the Elections Code and make all groups in Parliament eligible for seats on the Central Election Commission. The Bulgarian Democratic Centre will move an amendment whereby the candidates for the presidential elections will have to be nominated six months before the election day.