site.btaThursday's Parliament Sitting Called Off for Lack of Quorum

Bulgarian Deputy National Assembly Chair Rositsa Kirova called off Thursday’s sitting after four failed attempts to gather a quorum. In the last attempt, 94 MPs out of 240 in the plenary registered: 59 of GERB-UDF, 10 of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), nine of BSP for Bulgaria, 15 of There Are Such People, and one independent MP.

Present in the plenary hall were four ministers that were to be heard in connection with the water supply shortage across the country. These were the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, the Energy Minister, the Minister of Environment and Water, and the Minister of Agriculture. The request for the hearing was submitted by BSP for Bulgaria on Wednesday.

Kirova said that over 300 settlements in Bulgaria are currently facing water shortages. 

Earlier on Thursday, the MPs extended the parliamentary sitting until all items for the day were covered, including the hearing of the four ministers. Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria objected to this, arguing that this would set back the parliamentary committee meetings scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Shortly afterwards, Vazrazhdane called for a quorum check before their motion to broadcast live a debate on amendments to the Environmental Protection Act was to be put to the vote.

The MPs failed to have a first reading of the revisions to the Environmental Protection Act relating to cassation appeals in the implementation of works of national and strategic importance. The sponsors were MPs of GERB-UDF and MRF.