site.btaReformist Bloc Wants Council on Development to Meet Because Reforms Are Stalling

Reformist Bloc Wants Council on Development to Meet Because Reforms Are Stalling

Sofia, July 31 (BTA) - The Reformist Bloc (RB) notes that the key reforms set forth in this cabinet's programme by GERB, the RB, the Patriotic Front and ABV are stalling and insists that the Council on Development should meet early next week to prepare a roadmap setting dates for the implementation of the key reforms. RB Co-floor Leader Nayden Zelenogorski presented this position to journalists in Parliament on Friday.

The RB wants the coalition's Council to come up with a schedule for reforms, and the political forces supporting the government to commit to implement them. The Bloc singles out the amendments to the Constitution, the Judicial Power Act, the High-Level Corruption Prevention Act and the Medical Treatment Facilities Act.

Answering a question by BTA, Zelenogorski said the anti-corruption law was the line from which the RB would not retreat. The problem now is that the cabinet decides one thing, while the majority in Parliament decides another.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament, GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov ruled out any coalition agreement with another group in this Parliament. He was reacting to a posting on the social media by Radan Kanev, leader of the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (part of the RB), who said re-negotiating the coalition was an option and did not rule out early parliamentary elections if what he called the majority made up of GERB, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and ABV stayed.

Kanev claimed that on Thursday GERB's parliamentary group considered the possibility of setting new conditions if things came to this, and that some MPs raised the issue that the RB had too many ministers given its weight in Parliament.

Tsvetanov put  Kanev's emotions down to tiredness but also noted that Kanev regularly had coffee with MRF leader Lyutvi Mestan in the last ten days.

GERB will give political support to Meglena Kuneva's anti-corruption bill but there are many concerning details which should be sorted out between the two readings. Tsvetanov said that putting an end to the debate on Friday did not mean it was sabotaged.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Roumyana Buchvarova, who is also responsible for coalition policy, Kanev's posting was an attempt to cast in a heroic light the RB's position for its voters. It is rather more extreme and emotional than it would have been in a direct discussion, she said. Kanev has not raised these matters at meetings so far. She also denied any discussion of the number of RB ministers.

Health Minister Peter Moskov of the RB told journalists that both the coalition and the ruling majority were stable.