site.btaPresident Hopes MPs Are Aware of Damage Done to Parliamentarism by Sight of Its Inefficiency

President Rumen Radev expressed hope here on Thursday that the issue of electing new National Assembly chair would be resolved quickly. "I hope MPs realize what damage is done to parliamentarism when its inefficiency is seen from the outside," he added. 

"I gave enough time between the elections and the inaugural sitting of the National Assembly in the hope that the parties would have time to talk and that we would not reach this blockage," Radev said.

The political forces did not make the best use of this time, the head of State pointed out. He also stressed that an election of National Assembly chair will unblock the process of forming a government.

On the decision of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to appoint Georgi Cholakov as acting Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) President, Radev said that the practice of making decisions that contradict constitutional expediency and that do not fit into the framework of constitutional tolerance is increasing.

By appointing interim officials, the requirements that come with issuing decrees are circumvented, the principles of tenure are also circumvented, and the guarantees of the independence of authorities are abrogated, bypassing the powers of the head of State. "Such are the cases of the acting Prosecutor General, the chargé d'affaires in Ukraine," Radev highlighted.

On the amendments to the Constitution for the election of a caretaker prime minister Radev said that "the fathers of the amendments to the Constitution renounced their offspring. So this case will inevitably be considered. We all see what it means to have a government without clear political responsibility."

The President also commented on MRF - New Beginning's protest in front of the National Assembly, held on the day of Parliament's first sitting: "We shouldn't be naive that this audacity on steroids will disappear of its own accord, because of a clash with its own kind or under the pressure of some new sanctions list. The development of Bulgaria as a democratic state is entirely our responsibility."

"Audacity on steroids" was apparently a reference to MRF - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski, who lashed out at the President and Vice President in his speech at the Monday protest. The mention of sanctions was a reference to the sanctioning of Peevski for major corruption under the Global Magnitsky Act in June 2021.