site.btaUPDATED There Is Such a People Returns Government-Forming Mandate Unfulfilled, New Snap Elections to Be Scheduled

There Is Such a People (TISP) returned unfulfilled the third government-forming mandate on Monday, after they had received it from President Rumen Radev on July 28. This was the third unsuccessful attempt to form a regular government, after the two largest parliamentary groups, GERB-UDF and Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria, also failed to form a government with the first and second mandate.

TISP Chair Toshko Yordanov told reporters on Monday: "During the third mandate, there was a conversation between the different political entities in this parliament, which will probably continue in the next parliament. To some extent, a foundation to start listening to each other was laid. We found that we had no particular differences in terms of the goals for the country and we could walk together. Of course, the political wisdom in one party was not enough to make a decision on the spot, but if we look at the situation optimistically, this is a good basis not to fall into the same situation next time, so we return the mandate unfulfilled."

Radev also commented on the returned mandate, saying that the spiral of elections with no results is irritating the public and alienating people from the democratic process, as it paralyzes numerous institutions. He advised political parties to tackle the political crisis by trying to form a governing coalition before the elections and not after them.

Radev added: "I appeal for meaningful political debate and fair play in the weeks ahead. Otherwise, we are doomed to repeat procedures that more and more people see as pointless."

The head of State asked Yordanov whether any representative of the presidency had attended any TISP meetings, and Yordanov denied that such an act had ever taken place.

The first and the second mandate are bound by Constitution to go to the two largest parliamentary groups, while the third exploratory government-forming mandate gets handed over by the President to a parliamentary party of their choice. If no agreement is reached on the formation of a government, the President, in consultation with parliamentary groups and on the proposal of the candidate for caretaker prime minister, appoints a caretaker government and schedules new elections within two months. The caretaker prime minister is appointed from among the speaker of the National Assembly, the governor or deputy governors of the Bulgarian National Bank, the Chair or Deputy Chair of the Bulgarian National Audit Office, the ombudsman or one of their deputies.

The upcoming snap elections will be the sixth, after the regular parliamentary elections on April 4, 2021. The last snap elections took place on June 9.