site.btaPower-Sharing NFSB Stays in Government but Calls for Dramatic Change in Manner of Government and Coalition Relations

107 POLITICS - COALITION - PARTNER - STATEMENT

Power-Sharing NFSB Stays in Government but
Calls for Dramatic Change in Manner of
Government and Coalition Relations


Sofia, September 3 (BTA) - The National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB), one of three partners in the power-sharing United Patriots coalition, has decided to stay in the government but calls for "a decisive change in the manner of government and relations among the government partners" on the part of the Prime Minister and his GERB party. This transpired Monday when NFSB leader and Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov read out a declaration adopted at a three-day meeting of the party.

Simeonov has repeatedly slammed Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and GERB, the senior partner in the government coalition, for making decisions single-handedly and leaving the smaller partners to hear about them on the news.

The NFSB position document also complains of the slow pace of implementing the tenure programme all coalition partners have signed, of political appointments made behind NFSB's back, of not having "normal working dialogue in the small coalition [United Patriots coalition of NFSB, Ataka and the IMRO] and the big coalition [of GERB and the United Patriots]".

NFSB say that the parliamentary group of the United Patriots is "a mechanical sum of the MPs of three parties with a leadership which practically does not function", and want changes in the way the group is run.

They confirmed that they would vote against the resignation of the Ministers of Transport, of the Interior and of Regional Development in the wake of a deadly bus crash in late August.

NFSB suspect that their legislative initiatives are being boycotted in Parliament and threaten to consider leaving the government if this persists.

Later on Monday, representatives of all parties in the government coalition are expected to meet to discuss the relations among them.

The leader of IMRO and Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov has expressed scepticism over NFSB's threats to walk out of the government. He, however, told reporters Monday that he agrees with Valeri Simeonov that there is no reason for a government minister to resign after a road accident and that the Prime Minister cannot sacrifice ministers every time "some part of society is out for blood".

He specifically spoke flatteringly of outgoing Regional Development Minister Nikolai Nankov calling him "hard-working, energetic and competent".

"If, however, these changes are important for the Prime Minister, it is our obligation to go along because these have been his appointments," said Karakachanov. MORE/
/СН/