site.btaPM Denkov: "Memorandum Raises Strictly Matters of Principle"

"You can all get familiar with the text of the memorandum, and you will see that it raises strictly matters of principle: how to full the complements of the Supreme Judicial Council, the Commission for Anti-Corruption, the key regulators," Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov told journalists in Parliament on Friday.

He was referring to a governance memorandum which Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) offered Tuesday to their power-sharing partner GERB-UDF. The memorandum was rejected by GERB on Wednesday and was bitterly criticized by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the Socialist Party.

"Clear mechanisms are proposed for the selection of quality people [for the vacant positions] and, at the same time, for clear apportionment of political responsibility. This is not horse trading but public and transparent processes taking place in front of everybody," Denkov said.

That was an obvious response to a passage in Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel's comments: "The memorandum is an attempt at political horse-trading disguised behind apparent slogans of respect for principles," Gabriel said.

"I talked with Gabriel yesterday, and she said that she will be ready with a review of the implementation of the [Cabinet's] programme next Monday," Denkov said.