site.btaUPDATED Options for Choosing Caretaker PM Extremely Narrow - President Radev

The options are extremely narrow, President Rumen Radev told journalists here on Friday, commenting the appointment of a caretaker prime minister.

The head of State began a series of meetings with potential caretaker prime ministers on Thursday. Under Article 99 of the Constitution, when no agreement on a government has been reached, the President, in consultation with the parliamentary groups and on the proposal of the candidate for caretaker Prime Minister, appoints a caretaker government and schedules new elections within two months. Following the amendments to the Constitution, the head of State may choose the caretaker Prime Minister from among the Parliament Chair, the Governor or one of three Deputy Governors of the Bulgarian National Bank, the President or one of two Deputy Presidents of the National Audit Office and the Ombudsman or his/her deputy.

"There are also a number of problems regarding the compatibility of a number of these positions," Radev said. Whenever an election is limited, it may not lead to the best possible result, the president added.

After the changes in the Constitution, all sorts of pitfalls could appear in this process, the head of State warned. "I will do my best to meet the requirements of the Constitution, no matter how bad these changes are," Rumen Radev said.

In his words, the talks are going calmly and constructively, and he will announce his decision after all the meetings.

The central bank Governor, Dimitar Radev, told journalists Thursday that it is a bad idea to get the central bank involved in the political process. Speaking to reporters in Parliament, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said he "would never allow" Rosen Zhelyazkov, the Parliament Chair, to become caretaker Prime Minister - and "hopes it won't be" the National Audit Office President Dimitar Glavchev, either. Deputy Ombudsman Elena Cherneva-Markova resigned as of March 27, which effectively removes her from the pool of potential caretaker PMs.

Commenting the future steps in forming a caretaker government, outgoing Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said that the public's agenda now depends on the President and he should be asked what comes next. 

The President continues his meetings with potential caretaker prime ministers Friday.

Radev and Denkov took part in a national conference dedicated the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria’s NATO membership, held under the auspices of the government and organized by the Diplomatic Institute under the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Information Centre of the Ministry of Defence, the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria and the Sofia Security Forum.