site.btaSocialists Ready for Talks with CC-DB "but without Pre-set Restrictions"

The Socialists are ready to hold talks with Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) but with no "pre-set restrictions", acting leader Atanas Zafirov said Monday. Asked on Bulgarian National Radio to comment a proposal by CC-DB for a counter-corruption legislative agenda of Parliament, Zafirov said, "Let's first see the declaration and the package of laws and measures they propose. We are ready for dialogue and expect to be invited to talks but with no pr-set restrictions."

Zafirov also said, "We will always back measures against corruption but when we are discussing reform, we need to be careful because what immediately comes to mind is the judicial reform and the constitutional changes. All the more so that I heard them speak about changes in the special services and the regulators. And my question is, Is this really the agenda of Bulgarian people."

The acting Socialist leader said he was surprised to hear that CC-DB are asking for a delay of the constitutional procedure for handing them a mandate to form a government, because it has been clear for almost a week now that the second mandate would be going to them. "This is why I believe that their proposal is an attempt to run away from responsibility."

He also said that the proposal is very much likely unconstitutional.

He said that CC-DB has not had a conversation with the Socialists thus far.

BSP expects to see the declaration and the package of legislative solutions and decide how to proceed at a meeting of the party's executive body on Tuesday. 

Zafirov also said, "If the CC-DB nominee for Prime Minister is Nikolay Denkov, the conversation is over before it has started."