site.btaGERB-UDF Set Two Conditions for Start of Negotiations with Power-Sharing Partners

"The negotiations can start at the first possible and opportune moment, that is to say when our negotiating team is in full complement and our colleagues of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) express readiness to go ahead," Temenuzhka Petkova MP of GERB-UDF told journalists in Parliament on Wednesday after the legislature voted the Cabinet out of office.

"We have very long ago announced that the European People's Party (EPP) will hold a congress on March 6 and 7 and our leader is required to attend because exceedingly important decisions," Petkova recalled, noting that Mariya Gabriel, who is EPP Vice President, is together with GERB leader Boyko Borissov at the congress in Bucharest.

At its National Conference on Tuesday, GERB designated a negotiating team consisting of Gabriel and MPs Raya Nazaryan, Petkova and Denitsa Sacheva.

Petkova commented that, against the background of this long announced engagements, what she described as "the rushed tendering of the resignation and putting it to the vote right now" "immediately gives rise to certain suspicions". She speculated that the possible idea of this move was either to take advantage of Borissov's and Gabriel's absence or to demonstrate in practice that they are actually reluctant to negotiate but would rather push the country towards elections." 

Replying to a question, Petkova said that nobody has yet approached them about negotiations. In her words, GERB-UDF's chief negotiator Mariya Gabriel must be in the country so that the process could start.