site.btaPresident Radev Holds Consultations with Parliamentary Forces Ahead of Handing Government-Forming Mandate

April 19 (BTA) - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Monday held consultations with representatives of the six parliamentary groups in the 45th National Assembly ahead of mandating the formation of a cabinet. The head of State's Press Secretariat announced after the end of the consultations that on Tuesday, Radev will hand a cabinet-forming mandate to Daniel Mitov, the prime minister designated by the largest parliamentary group in the 45th National Assembly, GERB-UDF.

Sofia, April 19 (BTA) - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on
Monday held consultations with representatives of the six
parliamentary groups in the 45th National Assembly ahead of
mandating the formation of a cabinet. The head of State's Press
Secretariat announced after the end of the consultations that on
 Tuesday, Radev will hand a cabinet-forming mandate to Daniel
Mitov, the prime minister designated by the largest
parliamentary group in the 45th National Assembly, GERB-UDF.
  
As he met first with the largest parliamentary group, GERB-UDF,
Radev said that prompt and responsible action is needed for the
formation of a government. In his words, the complicated
security environment, the pandemic, the economic and social 
crisis, and the timely submission of an effective national
recovery and resilience plan require responsibility and
day-to-day governance. "At the same time, the Government has
resigned and the outgoing Prime Minister is on leave but, under
the Constitution, the responsibility for running the country
rests with this Government  until the Prime Minister and the
ministers hand the keys to their offices over to the next
government," the head of State argued.

GERB-UDF ready to be in opposition, in government or for
caretaker cabinet

GERB-UDF Floor Leader Dessislava Atanassova told the President
that GERB-UDF were ready to be both in opposition and in
government, as well as for a caretaker cabinet. "We have been in
 such a situation before and, contrary to what we hear someone
is trying to convince the Bulgarian people, we are not afraid of
 probes or scrutinies or a caretaker cabinet. We are also ready
for early parliamentary elections," she stressed.

The Floor Leader said further that GERB-UDF expect more than
just a show of force in the 45th National Assembly because even
though it is the largest one, their parliamentary group will
obviously be in opposition. She sees last week's vote on a
National Assembly Chair as a clear indication of the balance of
power in Parliament.

Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev as well as the
group's prime minister designate Daniel Mitov were also at the
consultations, 

Donchev commented after the consultation that GERB-UDF cannot be
 suspected of any type of political egoism whatsoever. "The
draft National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) has become a
target of political intrigue," he went on to say. It has been
tabled in Parliament and, if the National Assembly mandates the
Government, the NRRP will be submitted to the European
Commission. "Of course, we leave the new government and
Parliament the right to revise it, review it, rework it or
develop a new plan. We have even agreed with the Commission on a
 postponement so as to be tolerant and give the next government
a chance, if it so wishes, to propose an alternative NRRP," the
outgoing Deputy PM said.

Asked whether there is an option GERB giving up the idea of
submitting a cabinet proposal, Donchev did not rule out this
possibility. "We don't want to waste time needlessly. The right
thing for Bulgaria is to have a working government as soon as
possible, even if this implies for use to serve honestly in
opposition," he commented.

Mitov said that GERB-UDF had expressed their will to accept the
exploratory mandate and to make an honest, open and transparent
attempt to form a cabinet whose members will become clear in the
 coming days. "Later, in the process of talks, we will determine
 how to handle the mandate itself, whether it will be possible
to form a cabinet or not," he explained.

There Is Such a People won't say if they will form a government
if mandate goes to them

Next, conferring with representatives of the There Is Such a
People (TISP) Parliamentary Group, President Radev said he wants
 to know the intentions of the party, their readiness to form a
cabinet and under what conditions, and what their values and red
 lines were, because the party may be mandated to form a
cabinet. TISP won't say if they will try to form a government if
 the mandate goes to them.

TISP Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov said they were pleased that
the presidential institution was observing the Constitution and
the laws and did not resort to interpretations. "Our political
entity is also planning to observe the Constitution and the laws
 as they are," said Yordanov. He added that he hoped for a
constructive discussion.

After the consultation, TISP reiterated that they will not
coalesce with the establishment parties. "If there is any
possibility to form a cabinet, it is with the other two protest
parties," said Yordanov, referring to Democratic Bulgaria and
Rise Up! Thugs Out!. "We are not setting preconditions or doing
guesswork," he said. "We will do what we have said before the
elections," the TISP Floor Leader added.

BSP to back TISP government but has conditions

Conferring with representatives of the BSP for Bulgaria
Parliamentary Group, President Radev said that, based on the
consultations he is holding, he does not rule out handing a
third cabinet-forming mandate. The head of State said that he
would ask BSP and the remaining parliamentary groups the same
question: about their readiness and intentions to form a
cabinet.

BSP for Bulgaria Floor Leader Kornelia Ninova said that a stable
 cabinet should be formed, considering the economic, health and
social crisis. "The BSP will not back a cabinet formed by GERB
because this governance model should be done with and changed.
The BSP will support a cabinet formed by the second largest
parliamentary group, There Is Such a People, but on certain
conditions," said Ninova, These conditions include: taking
urgent crisis-tacking steps targeted at individuals, households
and the economy, making an objective and comprehensive scrutiny
of Boyko Borissov's incumbency, fast and to-the-point steps in
connection with the recovery and resilience plan, and adopting
new elections rules to guarantee transparent and fair elections.

Replying to a question, Ninova said that Radev did not tell BSP
for Bulgaria that he will hand them the third cabinet-forming
mandate if it comes to that. To another question, she pointed
out that her party by no means makes its support for Radev's
re-election bid contingent on receiving a third mandate.

Movement for Rights and Freedoms determined not to back GERB,
BSP

Conferring with representatives of the Movement for Rights and
Freedoms (MRF), President Radev said that the MRF is relied upon
 to tap its long-standing experience and traditions in finding
the right balance between the need of urgent legislative
revisions and the formation of a new cabinet.

MRF Floor Leader and party chairman Mustafa Karadayi said that
the MRF will not back a government of the parties that lost the
latest parliamentary elections: one party that lost over 300,000
 votes and 20 seats (referring to GERB) and the other party that
 lost over 450,000 votes and 37 seats (referring to BSP). The
MRF may support a cabinet proposed by the three new parties in
the National Assembly with definite priorities, including
socio-economic measures and accelerated vaccination so as to
tackle the COVID crisis, drafting a recovery and resilience
plan, and preparing Bulgaria for the next programming period,
worthy membership of the Euro-Atlantic structures and sharing in
 the important debate underway in Europe. "We must also see a
programme for Bulgaria's accelerated economic development
because we don't think an average European rate of economic
growth is sufficient," Karadayi said. According to the MRF,
Bulgaria's economic development should be stepped up to least
three times the present pace. The Floor Leader expects the
designated prime minister and cabinet members to present their
programmes and priorities.

Democratic Bulgaria ready to leave behind differences with TISP
for the sake of "government of change"

President Radev told the representatives of Democratic Bulgaria
that the coalition has an important role because right-wing
voters have rediscovered their parliamentary representation in
them.

Democratic Bulgaria Floor Leader Hristo Ivanov said that if
early elections are round the corner, his parliamentary group is
 ready to go ahead with quick revisions of the Election Code and
 other laws to ensure even fairer elections.

The President replied that the Bulgarian people has placed great
 responsibility in the parliamentary parties and that early
elections can be only a last resort.

Emerging from the consultation, Ivanov told journalists that the
 majority of citizens wishing change have voted for the second
largest parliamentary force, There Is Such a People, and the
responsibility has been assigned to it.
He also said that all discrepancies between Democratic Bulgaria
and TISP have been spelled out and that Democratic Bulgaria are
ready to put these discrepancies behind them for the sake of
having a government of change, because the overlaps are far more
 numerous. He added that the situation with Rise Up! Thugs Out!
is the same.

Rise Up! Thugs Out! vow support for cabinet involving the
"protest parties"

Rise Up! Thugs Out! (RUTO) Floor Leader Maya Manolova said
during the consultations that her coalition would back a cabinet
 involving the protest parties: TISP and Democratic Bulgaria.

"In the election campaign, as well as during our first joint
actions in Bulgaria, we fully agreed on the need of carrying out
 an in-depth judicial reform, changing the elections rules,
giving clear support to Bulgarian business, the economy,
protecting vulnerable groups, supporting pensioners and, last
but not least, our shared will for a scrutiny of Boyko
Borissov's incumbency," Manolova said.

She reiterated that her coalition will not back a cabinet
proposed by Borissov and GERB because by the way it voted on
April 4, the Bulgarian people showed it wanted change rather
than a repeat of the status quo.

Manolova added that she will schedule for Tuesday the first
meeting of the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee of Inquiry into
Abuses and Violations in Spending by the Council of Ministers,
Ministries, State Bodies and Majority State-Owned Enterprises
and Companies over the Last Four Years.

Last week Manolova was elected to chair that newly formed
Committee. In her words, "citizens eagerly expect to learn where
 taxpayers' money has gone and that justice be done". RI, NV/DS,
 PP, LG