site.btaProtests During Fifth No-confidence Vote against Borissov Government, Voting Scheduled for Tuesday

July 20 (BTA) - Parliament held an extraordinary
meeting on Monday to debate the fifth no-confidence vote against
 the third government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, tabled
by the socialist BSP for Bulgaria over its failure to counter
corruption.

Protesters gathered outside the building of Parliament next
to the Monument to the Tsar Liberator with demands for the
resignation of the cabinet and of Prosecutor General Ivan
Geshev.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev and cabinet ministers
were present during the debate, together with outgoing ministers
 Vladislav Goranov, Mladen Marinov and Emil Karanikolov.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is in Brussels, where he is
attending a Special European Council meeting. National Assembly
Chair Tsveta Karayancheva said that under the Constitution and
the parliamentary rules of organization he has no obligation to
be present at the debate.

Addressing the chamber, BSP for Bulgaria leader Kornelia Ninova
called for the cabinet's resignation, accountability, justice
and 'a pure and sacred republic'. She said that in three years
since the first vote of no-confidence against the third Borissov
 government, the corruption scandals have increased  to more
than 25.

According to Ninova, the parallel state has six legs among which
 are corruption, lobbyist legislation, impunity, showy
operations of the prosecution service and propaganda and fear.
She said that 12 ministers and seven deputy ministers have been
dismissed over corruption scandals during the government's
tenure.

During the debate Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev said
that the Bulgarian government will remain in office until the
connection with the citizens break. Donchev said that corruption
 is a chronic problem of the Bulgarian society and state.
"Should the Bulgarian government step down and for how long will
 it remain in power? For as long as there is point, for as long
as it can do something useful and until the connection with the
citizens break. Believe me, when this connection breaks, there
is no need to ask for my resignation," said Donchev.

Both the ruling coalition and the opposition cited examples of
corruption. MP Boris Yahcev from United Patriots said the vote
is preoccupied with political theses and many of the examples
are manipulated.

GERB floor leader Daniela Daritkova said that in case of a
caretaker government the interests of the socialists will be
very hard to reconcile with those of the 'Toxic Trio': Maya
Manolova, Slavi Trifonov and Yes, Bulgaria. Daritkova added that
 as the largest parliamentary group GERB has responsibility
before one million voters and this is very important in the
conditions of a medical and economic crisis. According to her,
there is shared responsibility for this government to serve out
its term assisted by the legislative branch of power in tackling
 the economic and medical crisis and in the preparations of the
general elections scheduled for 2021.

GERB MP Toma Bikov advised the socialists to do their job within
 their party first.

Volya leader and Deputy Parliament Speaker Vesselin Mareshki
said: "Volya is the only party against which no one is
protesting and we are the only party ready to heed to the
Bulgarian people." Mareshki said that vote of no-confidence will
 not go through and the Bulgarian Socialist Party will lose the
next elections because they are incapable of governging
Bulgaria. Mareshki also said that in the European Parliament the
 socialists are against the European People's Party, but in
Bulgaria they are allies of the Pseudo Right.

The debate went on for two hours and MP scheduled the vote of
no-confidence for 11.30 am on Tuesday.

* * *

Speaking outside Parliament Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov
said that there are instances when he has sought support from
all parliamentary groups as in the case with the latest
revisions to the Bulgarian National Bank Act which were the last
 obstacle to Bulgaria's entry into ERM II. He also said that he
has sought support from the parliamentary group of the Movement
for Rights and Freedoms and it has helped keep thе current model
 of taxation in place several times. RI/PP



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