Deputy Ombudsman Elena Cherneva - Markova has resigned and her powers have been suspended as of March 27, said Parliament Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov Wednesday. This effectively removes her from the pool of office-holders from which a potential caretaker prime minister will be chosen in case the three exploratory government-forming mandates fail to produce a regular cabinet. President Radev lamented the resignation.
Cherneva has resigned for personal reasons, Zhelyazkov said citing a letter from Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva where she notifies Parliament of the resignation of her deputy.
Under recent revisions to the Constitution, the list of potential caretaker Prime Ministers includes the Parliament chair, the governor and vice governors of the central bank, the head of the National Audit Office and his deputies, and the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman.
"The narrow circle of possibilities for a caretaker prime minister was narrowed even further today (Wednesday) with the resignation of Deputy Ombudsman Elena Cherneva - Markova, as she was the only figure who is neither indirectly nor directly close to any political party," President Rumen Radev said while presenting the second explotaroty government-forming mandate to CC-DB.
“She is the only one on the list for whom it is clear that we can say with certainty that there is no incompatibility," the President said.
"How come Mrs Elena Cherneva-Markova suddenly decided to resign?," Radev asked. "When this fact was announced today (Wednesday) in Parliament, I was truly surprised that you remained silent and did not react. In my opinion, there should have been questions - why, how, for what reasons, how so suddenly just yesterday (Tuesday), was there pressure, why no hearing was initiated," Radev added. "Don't be surprised that the chance of you getting a political caretaker cabinet that will most likely not be in your favour is increasing sharply," Radev added.
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