site.btaUPDATED MRF Honorary Chairman Dogan Convenes Party's Central Operative Bureau in His Summer Residence

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Honorary Chairman Ahmed Dogan convened the party's Central Operative Bureau on Tuesday at his summer residence in Rossenets Park, near the coastal city of Burgas. "Since yesterday [Monday], following the development of the political process in Bulgaria, we are in a new political situation with a deepening political crisis. We must all be responsible so that a constitutional crisis can be prevented, MRF co-leader Dzhevdet Chakarov told journalists in Rosenets Park after the meeting of his party's Central Operative Bureau. 

Chakarov said the meeting, was "very good". "The main thing we did today was to discuss the current political situation," he noted. 

"Today I said we discussed things, I haven't said we've made decisions," Chakarov told as journalists asked him about any decisions that may have been made.  

"I can say that what we discussed and what we want to say is that we support and assist the presidential institution as a symbol of statehood, the legitimate statehood in the country to get out of this crisis," he said, adding that the pool of potential candidates for caretaker prime minister from which the President can choose to designate should be expanded, so that a caretaker cabinet can be selected that is equally distanced from all.  

According to Chakarov, members of the caretaker cabinet should not have any dependencies. He also added that the other political entities should respond to the calls for dialogue and an exit from the crisis. 

Speaking to journalists earlier in the day before attending the meeting, Chakarov said that the Central Operative Bureau will discuss the current political situation in the country and "current issues of the authentic MRF without Peevski," referring to the other MRF chairman, Delyan Peevski.

The party has been plagued by a rift between Peevski and Dogan, with the latter calling for the former's resignation. The MRF Parliamentary Group was also broken up as quite a few MPs, who opted to heed Dogan's calls, were expelled. In addition to being one of the two MRF chairmen, Peevski - unlike Chakarov - is also serving as his party's Floor Leader.

Commenting the President's refusal to decree a new caretaker cabinet proposed by Goritsa Grancharova-Kozhareva, Chakarov said that his party had already circulated its position on the matter. 

"I confirm everything that we expressed yesterday [Monday] in my interviews and in the position of the authentic MRF without Peevski, which we presented. We must find a way out of the current unprecedented situation. We are working on it, we are aware of our responsibilities. We expect a reasonable approach from the other political entities and from the whole public so that we can get out of this situation. Bulgaria needs a regular government more than ever in view of the situation we're currently in. Reason has to prevail," Chakarov added.