site.btaBSP – United Left Ready for Dialogue on Governance Priorities

BSP-United Left will nominate a candidate for Chair of the National Assembly who is an undisputed authority and is able to unite the parliamentary formations for a constructive dialogue, chairman of the left alliance Atanas Zafirov told the national radio.

According to him, the first test for the new parliament will be precisely the election of its chairperson and whether it will even move on to the procedures of handing over the mandates and talks for forming a government. In his words, neither the first nor the second political party have proposed a consensus option to break the political deadlock. "On the contrary, we see hardening of positions - GERB seeking support for a narrow-party cabinet unclear from whom, and CC-DB talking about some sanitary cordons, which is rather an attempt to cover up guilty consciences. Our sanitary cordon was erected by the BSP Congress, and it is still in force," Zafirov said.

He added that the Left is ready for dialogue only on important priorities for Bulgaria, which he highlighted as the financial stability of the State, guaranteeing the social rights of citizens, energy and national security, equal access to quality healthcare and education and the accelerated development of the country.

In Zafirov's words, all political forces should make efforts to adopt a fair and adequate budget for 2025. He described as frightening the prospect of entering the next year with the old budget, as it meant stopping investments and freezing incomes. "Our approach will be zero tolerance to freezing incomes and increasing the tax burden on citizens. We are ready to support the taxation of excess profits of banks, which was our proposal in the campaign. Zero tolerance of corruption is an additional form of replenishing State finances. Aiming for a 3% budget deficit condemns socially vulnerable groups to poverty and hunger and does not correspond to reality - the budget hole has shown it," Zafirov believes.

According to him, the doubts about the legality and fairness of the elections are more than justified and that is why BSP-United Left have supported the request for the vote to be annulled. "There is a lot of evidence of manipulation in the tally sheets, vote-rigging and other violations. The silence of the prosecution service is worrying. With the total disintegration of almost all State institutions, the Constitutional Court is obliged to assume its responsibilities and rule on the violations in the electoral process and on the incompetent changes in the Constitution that led to political caretaker cabinets," Atanas Zafirov said.