site.btaUPDATED PM Speaks of "Diarchy at Interior Ministry"

Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov spoke of "diarchy at the Interior Ministry, which can very seriously hamper work". Speaking to the press during a visit to the northern town of Pliska on Tuesday, he said that "it surely needs to be discussed at State level how the security services can be restructured to make sure there are none of the blank spots in their work that exist now". 

"It is the kind of diarchy that can cause suffering to people and the criminals can take advantage of it," Denkov added.

Denkov also said that if he was in the shoes of the Interior Ministry Secretary General, he would have come down.

The government is seeking to replace the Secretary General over poor performance but the President refuses to issue the decree that the legislation calls for.

Denkov said Tuesday that if the President continues to refuse to decree the removal of the Secretary General, the situation can be solved by changes in the applicable law "but that is for Parliament to decide". 

Denkov also said it is a matter of emergency to adopt a bill related to the work of the anti-corruption commission. He said that Bulgaria needs to do that as part of its efforts to enter the Schengen area and improve its counter-corruption record. 

"It is striking that we have so few corruption cases and even fewer people sentenced for corruption," the Prime Minister said.