site.btaTISP to Sign CC-DB's Declaration if Coalition Backs Theirs

In a press release on Saturday, There Is Such a People (TISP) replied with a declaration of their own to a declaration proposed by Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) earlier in the day aimed at "freeing institutions and electoral process from corruption influences". CC-DB sent the declaration to the other parliamentary forces, noting that the support for this document is a necessary initial condition for the start of political consultations related to the formation of the 51st National Assembly.

In reply, TISP leader Slavi Trifonov wrote that CC-DB wants the declaration signed to establish a cordon sanitaire (sanitary cordon) around MRF-New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski. "A cordon sanitaire, how very interesting. Such a thing was established by the French at the start of the 19th century, when the French Army positioned 30,000 troops around the border with Spain to try to limit the entry of the yellow fever on French territory. They position soldiers to stop anyone trying to cross the border so as to protect their own people. In other words, they made a sanitary cordon. However, they did not make anyone sign a declaration; instead, they directly acted in all possible ways to protect their people," Trifonov's reply reads.

"I understand perfectly well that a sanitary cordon is  a hyperbole used in contemporary political life, but I continue to not understand why it is used by people who used to be hugging with that infectious disease that they now want to protect us from. I doubt that they have developed an immunity," he went on to say. In his words, this is yet another of CC-DB's posturing and attempts to turn into a farce every opportunity for political negotiations.

Trifonov stated firmly that TISP would not participate in a government with MRF-New Beginning; TISP would not even negotiate with that formation. Trifonov's party would sign CC-DB's declaration but only after CC-DB signs TISP's declaration.

The declaration that TISP sent to CC-DB on Saturday concerns the inaccuracies in the official voter lists stemming from deceased voters and people who no longer have the right to vote still being on the lists. Solving this issue is absolutely necessary in order to make the electoral process legitimate and acceptable to Bulgarian citizens, Trifonov argued. "If CC-DB signs this declaration, I will sign theirs immediately. This kind of political game is already starting to disgust me, but the players are like this... I have no choice and I will do as much as I can, practically speaking and not emotionally, to have some positive result," he noted.