site.btaParliament Postpones Debate on New EUR 8 Bln Debt

Parliament Postpones Debate on New EUR 8 Bln Debt

Sofia, February 19 (BTA) - The majority in Parliament voted on
Thursday to postpone debates on the ratification of a new debt
of 8 billion euro which Bulgaria is to take out over the next
three years. The debate started Wednesday but the vote was
postponed to allow more time for talks after two of GERB's
partners in the government coalition - ABV and the Patriotic
Front - remained reluctant to back a new external debt.

The proposal for the debate postponement was made by Valeri
Simeonov of the Patriotic Front and passed on 115-59 votes with
two abstentions. The Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement
for Rights and Freedoms were against the postponement, and Ataka
did not vote.

Simeonov argued that more time is needed to clarify the need of
a new loan.

In the morning, Ataka were trying to talk the other groups into
boycotting the plenary meeting on what they call "a military
loan". Ataka are adamant that the loan will be spent for
purchase of old weapons from the US.

Ataka, together with the Socialists, are firmly against taking
out a new loan.

Insisting that the debates should continue, Georgi Kadiev of the
Socialists said that "what is going on is ugly wheeling and
dealing, and trade in whole parliamentary groups". Turning to
the MPs of the Patriotic Front, he said: "You don't need a whole
week to be bought and sold". He urged them to take a stand
against the Finance Minister who "only had 15 minutes for a
meeting with you: a minute for each billion of the new loan".

After the first vote on the motion for postponing the debate,
the opposition stated chanting "Resignation!". Parliament Chair
Tsetska Tsacheva turned to them saying they should prepare their
resignations in writing and submit them to the Parliament. In
reaction to her remark, Ataka left the debating chamber.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov implied that he
might tender the government resignation and allow other parties
to try to find 6 billion leva by the year's end unless
Parliament approved the new government debt.