site.btaUPDATED Head of State Meets with Potential Caretaker Prime Ministers, Ombudsman Says She Cannot Head Cabinet

President Rumen Radev Friday continued his meetings with potential caretaker Prime Ministers. He met with Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva, Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Deputy Governors Petar Chobanov, Radoslav Milenkov, and Andrey Gyurov, and Bulgarian National Audit Office (BNAO) Vice-Presidents Toshko Todorov and Goritsa Grancharova-Kozhareva.

Ombudsman Kovacheva said that the head of State knows she has been elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as a Bulgarian judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and has to take office very soon. "Therefore, I cannot become a caretaker Prime Minister," she underscored.

She said the right thing to do is for her to resign as soon as possible so that Parliament can elect a new ombudsman. Asked if her resignation means a new ombudsman can be elected within a week, thus making that person a potential caretaker prime minister, Kovacheva said the procedure takes time but everything is a matter of decision. According to her, both the Ombudsman and the Deputy Ombudsman should stay away from politics.

BNB Deputy Governor Chobanov told reporters that his talks with Radev were meaningful and useful for both parties. In his words, the consultations are currently not a stage where a "yes" or "no" answer can be given. "In every situation I have acted responsibly, in the public interest. What I am doing at present as BNB Deputy Governor is very important too," he said. He recalled that on Thursday, BNB Deputy Governor Dimitar Radev explained why it is not appropriate for the central bank to get involved in the political process. The BNB team should continue action and moving forward. "From here onwards, each one of us should comply with the President's final decision," Chobanov said. Asked if he would turn down the post of caretaker Prime Minister, Chobanov replied those are hypotheses that will come to the forefront when the head of State makes his final decisions.

BNB Deputy Governor Milenkov told reporters that his conversation with the President will remain between them, and Radev will decide whether to disclose information to the media. Milenkov said he fully agrees with Thursday's statement of BNB Governor Dimitar Radev that there should be a good distance between the central bank and politics. The difference between politics and bankers is quite significant, Milenkov added. He recalled that he is a member of the European Central Bank Supervisory Board. "My entire professional history is that of a banker, not a politician," he said. Asked if he would head a caretaker cabinet, Milenkov said that according to the Constitution, he can be caretaker Prime Minister.

BNB Deputy Governor Gyurov said that he came to the meeting to comply with the Constitution. Asked whether he would become caretaker Prime Minister, he said that is a hypothetical question; the responsibility for finding a solution lies in the President's hands. The inclusion of the BNB Governor and Deputy Governors in the procedure for a caretaker cabinet's formation is a decision of the legislator. "What we discussed with the President was the BNB's role and tasks in the eurozone accession process," he specified. They also discussed all processes - legislative and others - related to the eurozone, the central bank's responsibility, and the tasks ahead. 

BNAO Vice-President Todorov called ill-advised the constitutional amendments reducing the number of potential caretaker Prime Ministers to ten persons. In his words, there are many people who deserve this post, and he and BNAO Vice-President Grancharova-Kozhareva are not the most suitable persons. "The two of us are currently subjected to great tension. You see what kind of ill-thought-out things are happening. We are not the best-prepared people for this post. We are financial experts, we have worked in our fields, and now we have to be present here because of the posts we occupy," Todorov commented.

On Thursday, President Radev held meetings with National Assembly Chair Rossen Zhelyazkov, BNB Governor Dimitar Radev and BNAO President Dimitar Glavchev.

The series of meetings began after the constitutional procedure to form a regular government within the current National Assembly was exhausted following the return of an unfulfilled third exploratory mandate. According to Art. 99 of the recently amended Constitution, after an agreement on a government has not been reached, the President, after consultation with the parliamentary groups and on the proposal of the caretaker prime minister-designate, appoints a caretaker government and schedules new elections within two months. After the recent changes to the Constitution, the head of State can choose between the National Assembly Chair, the governor or deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, the president or vice-president of the National Audit Office and the Ombudsman or their deputy.