site.btaDemocratic Bulgaria Co-leader Atanasov Calls for Negotiations Ahead of Cabinet Rotation

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) co-chairman Atanas Atanasov, who is Co-floor Leader of Continue the Change (CC) - DB, Sunday said early elections were always an option but now CC-DB and GERB-UDF should sit at the negotiating table. He commented on Nova TV on the rotation in March of Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov of CC-DB and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel of GERB-UDF and the controversy over who should be foreign minister after the rotation.

Atanasov said: "Somehow the negotiations started through the media. I think the political forces which support the government and form the majority should sit at the negotiating table and state their claims, including on the Foreign Ministry, and the image Bulgaria projects in the world."

According to Atanasov, it is good to have a homogeneous foreign policy. He believes Gabriel and Denkov could shape it jointly. In the past nine months, they have worked very well together and should also be at the negotiating table, he said. The two should analyse the government's performance and present it to the coalition leaders as a basis for starting negotiations on the line-up of Gabriel's government.

Asked if he would accept Parliament's chairmanship from GERB's Rosen Zhelyazkov as part of the rotation, Atanasov said: "If I am elected, I will take on this task, of course."