site.btaUPDATED Vazrazhdane Leader after Meetings with BSP, TISP, MECh: Everything Possible Should Be Done to Prevent Elections under Current Government

After meetings with representatives of three parliamentary groups here on Wednesday, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said: "We should do everything possible to prevent elections under this government." The meetings were held with BSP - United Left, There Is Such a People (TISP), and Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh) in Parliament.

Kostadinov described the meetings as fruitful. In his words, the caretaker government "acts like MRF - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski's errand boy".

"To go to new elections with this government, this Interior Minister and this Election Code is suicidal," said also the Vazrazhdane leader. 

He said that "there is a consensus" about amending the Election Code "first thing in the morning" by this Parliament in order "to minimize vote theft, forgeries and manipulations, and, most importantly, the controlled vote".

He also said that all efforts should be made to form a parliamentary majority excluding GERB and MRF, and that "everybody agrees about that", "everybody likely meaning Vazrazhdane and the parties they met on Wednesday. He added that such a majority now is impossible without Democratic Bulgaria. 

He reiterated that Democratic Bulgaria "chose Peevski today".

He admitted that the four parties disagree on who should lead Parliament.

Vazrazhdane will nominate again Petar Petrov on Friday as Parliament makes a fifth attempt to elect its leader but in the second round of voting they would support the candidate who is not put forward by GERB-UDF, said Kostadinov.

He does not think that "the ongoing battle is about who would be the next caretaker Prime Minister".

The leader of Parliament is among the pool of office-holders who is eligible for appointment as caretaker Prime Minister, according to the 2023 amendments to the Constitution.

Kostadinov said that the meetings on Wednesday did not discuss other nominees for the position of Parliament Chair or the option of a rotational Chair. He said that the question of whether BSP are ready for compromise, should be addressed to BSP. 

"I expect that, with political logic prevailing, we will have a Parliament Chair elected on Friday and that this Chair won't be the GERB-UDF nominee," Kostadinov concluded.