site.btaPresident to Set Parliamentary Election Date in Decree by End-January

Sofia, January 6 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev will set the date
 for the parliamentary elections in a decree which he will issue
 by the end of January. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday,
Radev noted that the pre-election consultations he is having
with senior healthcare professionals, election officials and
politicians are about the way the ballot should be conducted,
not the date.

The election date became the subject of a controversy on
Tuesday, when Prime Minister Boyko Borissov expressed surprise
that the timing of the elections was being discussed during the
presidential consultations after March 28 was mentioned by the
President as the intended date. Borissov blamed Radev for trying
 to pass onto the health authorities the responsibility for a
postponement and said these attempts were "ugly."

In his reaction Wednesday to Borissov's comment, Radev said:
"Now is the right time for the consultations. Thousands of
Bulgarians spent half a year protesting for early and fair
elections. The Prime Minister was hiding and procrastinating so
he could take control of organizing the elections. Now, he says
that someone else wants to postpone them. This is insolence. The
 Prime Minister's hectic campaign tour is obviously keeping him
from grasping the essence of the consultations. Before even
broaching the subject of elections, the Prime Minister should
explain the fact that Bulgaria has the highest COVID-19
mortality rate."

The President noted that he named March 28 as the earliest
possible date for the parliamentary elections, and he did it
early enough to get the institutions mobilized. "So far, I have
heard only promises, I do not see any concrete results. I see no
 legal, organizational and logistical preparedness for these
elections," Radev commented.

He went on to say: "Unlike the Prime Minister, I find it
important and relevant to consider ways to protect the health of
 Bulgarians while guaranteeing their constitutional right to
vote. It is relevant to think about the effectiveness of the
election campaign which is supposed to inspire Bulgarians to
cast their ballot. It is relevant to consider how expatriates
will vote."

Furthermore, the President finds it imperative to change the law
 in order to enable people to vote in quarantine and isolation.
The COVID-19 pandemic calls for a different way of organizing
the elections, Radev said.

He also said that he and Vice President Iliana Iotova continue
to follow the consultation plan. They will hold meetings with
the National Association of Mayors of Small Municipalities, the
National Association of Municipalities, the Public Council and
the leadership of the Central Election Commission, members of
Bulgarian communities abroad, parliamentary and
non-parliamentary parties.

Asked by a journalist to comment on Monday's political
declaration by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), the
President said it came as no surprise to him. According to
Radev, it would make sense for "Mr Peevski's party" to support
Borissov during the presidential elections which are due in the
autumn of 2021. (Delyan Peevski is an MRF MP and an influential
publisher and businessman.) The President said that Peevski and
Borissov are partners, "the more so because Mr Borissov is a
confidant of Turkish President Erdogan, who sent a greetings
message to the recent MRF conference."

Commenting on the President's remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and
 Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov said Radev had named
March 28 as the date for the parliamentary elections, but on
Tuesday he indicated that he might change his mind. "It is up to
 him, whatever he chooses," Karakachanov added.

Asked whether the government is prepared for the elections in
terms of legislation, logistics and organization, Karakachanov
said these matters should have been considered during
presidential consultations with the parliamentary forces before
the election date was discussed. He said his VMRO party is ready
 to stand in elections on March 28 either independently or as
part of the United Patriots Coalition, which is currently the
minor partner in the ruling coalition.

Later on Wednesday, Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Kornelia
Ninova said on National Radio her party will accept any election
 date which the President may set. RY/VE