site.btaUPDATED Political Leaders Comment on CC-DB's Proposal for Governance Memorandum

Political leaders Wednesday commented on a memorandum setting the government's main goals for the next nine months proposed by Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) to informal government coalition partner GERB-UDF on Tuesday.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov sounded like he rejects the proposal for being imbalanced and was bitter that CC-DB went about it on their own rather than together with GERB-UDF.

MRF floor leader Delyan Peevski said they would not support such a deal and would even block any votes on its in Parliament.

Socialist leader Kornelia Ninova said it was a disgrace for CC-DB.

What's in the memorandum

CC-DB call the memorandum a proposal for "a clear negotiating framework to GERB-UDF for the rotation on March 6, 2024". 

It is titled "Memorandum on continuing reforms for effective governance, justice, fight against corruption and security in March 2024 - December 2024", and contains the vision of CC-DB on the priorities of the State until the end of 2024. 

It says that "the parties view the reforms set out in this Memorandum as fundamental to the realization of all other Government and majority objectives, including the key foreign policy priorities for the next 9-month period: continuing Bulgaria's European development and Euro-Atlantic course; and the country's entry into the eurozone and full Schengen integration.

In the proposal, GERB-UDF and CC-DB "declare that the key conditions for continuing to share responsibility for the rotation formula in the second stage [after March 6, 2024] are:

● implementation of effective governance reforms, 

● continuing reforms in the justice sector, fighting corruption, and 

● strengthening the security services and security systems.

The memorandum proposes a public timetable for the filling of the regulators as the parties agree to be politically accountable for their nominations.

The nominations for the regulators will be made by as wide a range of stakeholders as possible, including civil society organizations specializing in the relevant field, to be endorsed by MPs, and that a check on the integrity and moral qualities of the nominees would be carried out under conditions of enhanced publicity. Candidates with strong political affiliations will be excluded.

The number of candidates elected will be equally distributed between CC-DB and GERB-UDF. If either of the two groups wishes to propose a candidate from another parliamentary party, this candidate shall be counted as a nomination of the respective group making the nomination and no change in the ratio between them shall take place.

The document describes in detail the objectives of reforms in a number of areas such as the judiciary, the election of the members of the anti-corruption commission, the security services, measures to increase confidence in the electoral process, and further reforms in e-government.

A special chapter of the memorandum sets out additional measures to be taken in the wake of exposure of undue dependencies in the judiciary (The Notary Case), including legislative changes introducing an opportunity for limited disclosure of relevant elements of investigative secrecy when there is a prevailing public interest.

The proposed memorandum sets out a clear mechanism of rotation, in which Nikolay Denkov resigns as Prime Minister on March 6, 2024 regardless of whether an understanding has been reached on all issues by then. "Negotiations between the two sides are taking place with the aim of reaching an understanding and avoiding elections and to form a cabinet led by Maria Gabriel as Prime Minister. If reaching an understanding proves impossible, the parties agree to hold early parliamentary elections together with the European Parliament elections in order to reduce the risk of political instability and a deviation from Bulgaria's pro-European path. The parties agree that no minister can be replaced without the explicit consent and signature of each party - represented respectively by Nikolay Denkov and Maria Gabriel and based on their joint reasoned assessment. If only one side disapproves, a minister retains his role in the cabinet."

The proposed document further says that during the upcoming and any subsequent rotations the country's foreign policy will be jointly led by Mariya Gabriel and Nikolay Denkov, "both of whom will take mirror positions at each rotation, so that after March 6, 2024, Mariya Gabriel will hold the position of Prime Minister and Nikolay Denkov of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.  After another 9 months, Nikolay Denkov will become Prime Minister and Mariya Gabriel Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs. The rotations continue every 9 months until the end of the current government's 4-year mandate. The rotation of the National Assembly Chair will happen at the same time as the rotation of the Council of Ministers."