site.btaCC-DB Discusses Their Declaration, Counter-Corruption Package, with Other Parliamentary Forces

Representatives of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) Wednesday discussed their proposal for a declaration on the way out of the political crisis in Bulgaria with the other parliamentary groups, excluding the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). The negotiating team included representatives of Democratic Bulgaria: Bozhidar Bojanov, Nadezhda Yordanova and Lyudmila Ilieva. On Thursday, CC-DB is to make a statement to the media after the meetings held Wednesday with GERB-UDF, Vazrazhdane, BSP for Bulgaria and There Is Such a People (TISP). 

Two days ago, at a meeting with President Rumen Radev, the CC-DB asked President Rumen Radev for a posponement of the handing of the second government mandate to them in order to seek broad support for their declaration containing a counter-corruption legislative package. The text of the declaration states support for seven legislative initiatives and other decisions by Parliament, including the election of members of the Anti-Corruption Commission, the adoption of a new Judiciary Act, and amendments to special laws governing the security services. 

After the meeting, GERB-UDF said that they will not support a government with a second or third mandate, but will support all anti-corruption initiatives. "We expressed the understanding that only a majority to elect an government gives life to this National Assembly, and we should not burden the President as some 'time lord' to decide how much and how long Parliament should work," said Rosen Zhelyazkov MP. 

Vazrzhdane said after the talks that they remain determined not to be in floating majorities together with GERB-UDF and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). "We won't participate in floating majorities together with GERB-UDF and MRF," MP Tsoncho Ganchev of Vazrazhdane said here Wednesday.  He also said that DB declined support for a declaration that Vazrazhdane had put forward a day earlier.

BSP for Bulgaria declined support for the CC-DB declaration and anti-corruption legislative agenda. Deputy Floor Leader Ivan Ivanov said after meeting with CC-DB: "We cannot support this version of the declaration proposed on condition of a two-month extension of Parliament's work." He called the conversation with CC-DB "constructive", adding that the good thing is the declaration is open and can be changed.

TISP told CC-DB that they find unacceptable some things in the draft declaration. "There are absolutely unacceptable things in this declaration, as an approach," TISP floor leader Toshko Yordanov said after his party met with CC-DB. He argued that a much more practical approach would be "to sit down to draw up a programme of governance and, based on that, to seek a postponement of the government-forming mandate, but not by three months".

On Wednesday morning, MRF floor leader Delyan Peevski refused support for the CC-DB proposals. "Apparently, it was very quickly forgotten who these people are, they have proposed absurd things. The people whose Customs chief is still in custody are proposing anti-corruption legislation, let's be serious," Peevski said to journalists in Parliament. "We will not talk to these people," he added.

MRF co-chair Dzhevdet Chakarov, who has been expelled from the MRF group in Parliament said he and fellow MRF group expelees expect the President to hand the mandate and CC-DB to show statesmanship and start in-depth talks for a regular government with clear goals and priorities for the country's development.