site.btaParliament's Thursday Sitting Cancelled Over Lack of Quorum

September 27 (BTA) - Parliament will not meet on Thursday
 due to lack of quorum, ensured by at least 121 MPs.

Those MPs who failed to show up without an excuse, and those who
 did not register despite being present, will be sanctioned
two-thirds of their daily pay. MPs who are on scheduled
work-related trips will not be sanctioned, said here on Thursday
 Parliament's Chair Tsveta Karayancheva after the third failed
attempt to secure the required quorum for the sitting.

Speaking to journalists, Parliament Deputy Chair Yavor Notev
(United Patriots) attributed the lack of quorum to the partial
presence of Socialist MPs, and the fact the ones who were
present did not register.

The Secretary of the Bulgarian Socialist Party's (BSP)
Parliamentary Group, Filip Popov, commented that his party's MPs
 were sufficient in number, but did not register because
securing quorum is the responsibility of the governing majority.
 "For us, this Parliament is empty of content. We are here to
work on the important bills, we'll be here for the budget," he
said, urging everyone to assume their obligations and
responsibility," he commented.

GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov criticized the Socialists'
behaviour, which he attributed to the lack of other political
arguments. Tsvetanov said he does not understand the Movement
for Rights and Freedoms' behaviour, however, whose MPs also did
not register. After all, he admitted that it is the majority's
responsibility to secure quorum. Work-related trips will be
reduced in the future, so that a majority can be secure in
Parliament and the opposition would not be able to boycott its
sittings, he said. Karayancheva also concurred with Tsvetanov.

Volya issued a statement regarding the failed Parliament
meeting, in which they ask how to explain it to the mothers of
disabled children, who have been sitting outside Parliament for
a year now, that BSP and MRF have decided to sabotage
parliament's sitting.

Parliament's agenda for Thursday included first reading of
amendments to the Local Self-government and Local Administration
 Act, and second reading of amendments to the Medicinal Products
 in Humane Medicine Act.

***

In another development, GERB's and the United Patriots'
parliamentary groups have nominated Krassimir Krassimirov Vlahov
 to be elected as member of the Constitutional Court on
Parliament's quota, the National Assembly's website says. The
nomination was made on Wednesday.

Vlahov is currently a Judge at the Supreme Court of Cassation.
He has a professional track record spanning over 20 years as a
judge, GERB say in their motives for the nomination. RY/MY