site.btaGERB Leader Borissov Comments on Interior Minister, Appointments in Government

Approached by reporters here on Wednesday, GERB leader Boyko Borissov commented on recent issues in his party's relations with Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) within the government.

"It has been a month or two since CC and DB started a war against [Interior Minister] Kalin Stoyanov because he did not agree to let them make appointments and run amok during the [local] elections. They were bringing him lists, they were replacing everyone, but he held the position we had agreed on - that he should appoint professionals," Borissov said. "I have never been there, I have not suggested any names, I can go to whatever lie detector you say," he argued.

"Let there be [temporary] committees of inquiry, let all the facts and circumstances be examined, Borissov said. He was referring to the proposals for convening two parliamentary committees: one to investigate police violence during the protest against the Bulgarian Football Union last week (proposed by CC-DB), and the second related to the activity of the e-Government Minister and e-Government Deputy Minister (proposed by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms). "I cannot defend a policeman who boots a fallen person, but I can't agree to replace a minister because he does not agree with [someone’s attempts for] party appointments - those are two fundamentally different things," he added.

On Tuesday, CC-DB co-leader Kiril Petkov said that he had never pushed for certain people to be appointed in positions of power.

Answering a question whose minister is Kalin Stoyanov, following Kiril Petkov’s statement on Tuesday that Stoyanov was proposed for Interior Minister by GERB, Borissov explained that after a couple of meetings between him and CC-DB representatives he had brought up the question who is going to be interior minister. "I told them that it had to be an expert, a professional, not attached to anyone [from the parties]. I suggested [them] to choose from among [the heads of] the [security] services - of those appointed by them or by President Radev. And I told him to choose between [the names of the] National Police Director, Combating Organized Crime Director, and the head of the gendarmerie," Borissov also said. Then, he added, Kiril Petkov had made a consultation and Kalin Stoyanov had been proposed. "I agreed. I did not talk to him [Stoyanov], I did not persuade him, I did not meet him”, GERB leader concluded.

Borissov noted that if there are no political figures, no political responsibility can be claimed. These are expert appointments, they were made by CC, not GERB, Borissov argued.