site.btaCC-DB Rules Out Talks with GERB Unless It Commits to "Sanitary Cordon" Around Peevski's MRF-New Beginning

Interviewed by the Bulgarian National Radio on Sunday, Continue the Change (CC) co-leader Assen Vassilev ruled out talks with the largest parliamentary force, GERB-UDF, unless it signed a declaration on setting "a sanitary cordon" around Delyan Peevski and his MRF-New Beginning parliamentary group. Asked about possible government talks with GERB, Vassilev was adamant that signing the declaration proposed by CC and its coalition partner Democratic Bulgaria (DB) would demonstrate a political decision to stop Peevski's influence.

Vassilev said CC's position pre-dated the October 27 parliamentary elections. "The initiative should come from the biggest parliamentary force. Our support is conditional on the signing and implementation of the declaration on the 'sanitary cordon' around MRF-New Beginning. This is the main source of instability in the country now and in the last four or five years."

Vassilev commented that a four-member coalition government, made up of GERB-UDF, CC-DB, There Is Such a People and BSP-United Left was "nearly impossible".

GERB leader Boyko Borissov said in late November this would be the winning formula for a regular government, but added that "it is hard to talk about anything with Continuing the Change as they do not acknowledge anything that we have done together".

President Rumen Radev Saturday said from Paris he would open consultations with the parliamentary forces on December 10 before handing the first government-forming mandate.

"If Yes, Bulgaria! decides that it wants to hold talks with GERB, it will be its own political decision, which will be at deep odds with our views of Bulgaria's governance," Vassilev said. 

Yes, Bulgaria! and the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria form the Democratic Bulgaria coalition.

In Vassilev's words, the first step envisaged by the declaration - to have no deputy chair of Parliament from MRF-New Beginning - is already a fact. [On December 6, when the deputy chairpersons were elected, Delyan Peevski stated he would not nominate a candidate.] "There are, however, other key points of the declaration: halting the election procedure for the prosecutor general by the present Supreme Judicial Council, whose term has expired, electing a new leadership of the counter-corruption commission, and a few legislative revisions."