site.btaNational Health Insurance Fund Chief Withdraws Resignation while Parliament Debates It

While Parliament was debating the resignation of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) chief Stanimir Mihaylov on Wednesday, it transpired that he had withdrawn it. Mihaylov asked to step down for personal reasons on December 1, 2023 but it made it to Parliament's agenda only now.

The motion of Parliament Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov for debating the resignation inflamed Continue the Change - Democratic Republic (CC-DB), who had nominated Mihaylov for the top job at the NHIF.

Mihaylov was elected in late July and in November Parliament elected Momchil Mavrov, a GERB nominee, as NHIF Deputy Governor, causing a brief rift between the then power-sharing GERB-UDF and CC-DB. 

As the MPs were debating, Vassil Pandov (CC-DB) said that Minaylov had withdrawn his resignation and proposed that the item be dropped from Parliament's agenda and the debate be discontinued. He said that if the legislature wants to replace him anyway, they will have to think if a different reason.

Kostadin Angelov (GERB-UDF) said that Mihaylov must have been pressured to withdraw his resignation and said it was the mafia in action.

Hamid Hamid of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms said that the resignation had been added to the agenda and absolutely had to be voted. 

Stanislav Balabanov of There Is Such a People said that his group are not going to participate in this vote.

Miroslav Ivanov of CC-DB argued that a resignation is a personal act and can be withdrawn.

Assen Vassilev (CC-DB) suggested that Parliament take a break.