site.btaVice President Iotova Says Hard Part of Forming Cabinet Yet to Come

Congratulations to the winners, but woe betide them, because the hard part starts with the formation of the future [regular] government, Vice President Iliana Iotova told journalists here on Tuesday, commenting the political situation after the October 27 snap parliamentary elections.

She pointed out that she would like to get the most credible answer to where the high voter turnout came from and that it was important to find out which polling stations filled the gap from previous elections. "I will trust the polling stations, but the media has shown many reports of commission members fill out and stamp completely blank ballots," she said, adding that in her over 30 years of experience, she had never seen anything like this before.

Political parties failed to increase public trust in the election during their campaigns. "Let's hope that this was only for this election and let's hope that we are not witnessing the fact that now we have only opened Pandora's box and from now on the elections in Bulgaria will be entirely subject to the bought or corporate vote," Iotova said.

She recalled a statement by the caretaker Prime Minister from Monday, when he said that Bulgarian citizens should have no illusions that there was vote buying. In view of this, there should be a serious public reaction, "because otherwise we lose the right to have elections," Iotova argued.

According to her, the formula for creating a regular cabinet will be very difficult. I expected after the whole crisis and elections for the seventh time, the evening after the end of the election day, that here would be a strong leadership, the leaders of the first six parties would state their political position, intentions and goals, their formula for a political government and the way to conduct political negotiations, she said.

"Unfortunately, my expectations did not come true, rather they passed with a thank you to the voters and we did not learn anything more, so I am not optimistic about the way this government will be formed," Iotova said.

She stressed that she would continue to stick to her position in favour of a strong political government. Whether it will be a minority government, whether it will be a coalition government, is a matter for the political forces in parliament to decide, because anything else means running away from responsibility, she said. Iotova said she had read all the election platforms, there are at least six positions on which about five parties have similar proposals for solutions - budget, deficit, foreign policy, minimum wage, future of energy. "I think a government can be formed with a strong political behaviour," the Vice President added.

According to her, the calls to look for experts for the future composition of a government is an attempt to enter the government through the back door, to participate in it, but not to take responsibility and to deceive voters. The figure of an equidistant prime minister would deepen the crisis of Bulgarians' trust in the political system, she added.

Iotova pointed out that she is waiting for answers to the questions asked during the election campaign - how many vote-buying schemes have been checked by the Interior Ministry and law enforcement bodies. She also recalled the purely technical problems with the voting machines she had encountered while exercising her vote. She said the Election Code should be revised.

Iliana Iotova was a guest at the solemn assembly dedicated to the Day of National Awakeners at the University of Veliko Tarnovo.