site.btaUPDATED CC Co-leader Petkov: Minister Changes in Cabinet Led by Mariya Gabriel Will Happen Only By Mutual Consent

On Monday, Continue the Change (CC) Co-chair Kiril Petkov said on BTV that the rotation from Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov leading the government to Mariya Gabriel taking over has already started to happen, but there will be a change of ministers in the cabinet only by mutual agreement.

Petkov said that the Continuing the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition has proved that it keeps its word by changing the head of the Parliamentray Legal Affairs Committee. On September 7, CC-DB representative Stoyu Stoev was dismissed from his post, and Anna Alexandrova from GERB was elected in his place.

Petkov explained that there will be a change of ministers after the rotation of the prime ministers, only if both CC-DB and GERB agree that there is a need for such a change, that is, there cannot be a unilateral change.

"I would recommend a time off of  at least two weeks before the local elections, so that a large part of the MPs can focus on them, and if there is a confrontation between the various parties, it will not affect the national policy at this moment," Petkov said.

On information that the CC did not comply with DB's proposals for mayors, Petkov was adamant that the two formations appear together in the election throughout Bulgaria. There was controversy over the specific names, but choices were made by people with brilliant reputations. Regarding the lists for municipal councilors, Petkov said that in many places the CC and DB nominations are equal in number.

"The first meeting for forming a ruling majority between me and Boyko Borissov was in Parliament," Petkov said. "There has never been a meeting between me, Borissov and Alexey Petrov, I have never received a call from Alexey Petrov. The only people who made decisions to enter into talks were me, Assen Vassilev and the leaders of Democratic Bulgaria," he added.

Attempts to talk about Alexey Petrov's role in the forming of the current government is a distraction, he noted. "None of the decisions so far have been taken out of fear or out of greed. The only thing that has been pushing us all along is the sense of duty that Bulgaria cannot stay where it is, even though we are aware of all the criticism that will be poured on us," Petkov said.