site.btaYes, Bulgaria's Ivanov: "Preventing Peevski from Devouring the Republic Is in Bulgarians' Interest"

"If there is a chance of forming an anti-Peevski cabinet, we are duty bound to our voters to do it," outgoing Yes, Bulgaria Chairman Hristo Ivanov said on bTV Sunday evening.

He commented on a proposal made earlier in the day by Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) which, together with Yes, Bulgaria, is part of the Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition, that its parliamentary group should claim the third exploratory mandate to form a "technical cabinet".

In Ivanov's words, "it is in the interest of Bulgarian citizens that we win back the republic and not allow Peevski to devour it." "It is crucial to check in this Parliament whether parties ready to work consistently for the elimination of the Peevski model can form a majority," the outgoing Yes, Bulgaria Chairman said, referring to Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Chairman Delyan Peevski.

"He [Peevski] is not just a person but the purveyor of a technology, of a power-wielding model. Eliminating this model requires implementing the reforms we proposed by the memorandum in February," Ivanov said.
  
He recalled that the rotation governance formula of CC-DB with GERB was broken because the reforms proposed in the February memorandum with regard to the judiciary, the regulators and the security services were "unbearable" to Peevski and he forced Borissov to go to elections. "The [Nikolay Denkov] cabinet fell because Peevski exerted his influence on GERB and compelled them to break the rotation formula. Now, if GERB are ready to free themselves of Peevski's influence, this will be evidenced by their readiness to resume the discussion about the reforms. This is the litmus test," Ivanov added.

He sees the role of the technical cabinet in carrying out "minimum tasks" and allowing Parliament time to do a definite amount of work, especially as regards the reforms in question, and to complete Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone.

Ivanov also commented on the jolts in the MRF, arguing that the outcome is "a foregone conclusion". "Delyan Peevski, the monstrous offspring of the state capture, tried to take the helm, to assume control, to devour everything. What we are now witnessing are attempts to stop him," he said.

The outgoing Yes, Bulgaria Chairman sees a statement released by Peevski earlier in the day as "an indication that he obviously waited but was not received by [MRF Honorary Chairman Ahmed] Dogan and had to come up with this verbose supplication which belies panic."