GERB Leader Borissov Demands Parliament Chair for GERB, Vows to Boycott Talks Over Political Machinations

UPDATED GERB Leader Borissov Demands Parliament Chair for GERB, Vows to Boycott Talks Over Political Machinations

Dimitrina Solakova, Kaloyan Kirilov

GERB leader Boyko Borissov, at GERB’s headquarters in Sofia, November 4, 2024. (BTA Photo/Milena Stoykova)

Sofia,

04.11.2024 13:50 | UPDATED 04.11.2024 16:10

(BTA)

"Parliamentarism requires a Chair of Parliament from GERB, and if others decide to do their political machinations, we will not participate in any talks," GERB leader Boyko Borissov said during a briefing at the party's headquarters here on Monday.

Borissov began by expressing concern that ten days after the elections, he hears everything except a desire to govern and form a government. He presented his party's results in past elections under different interior ministers, noting that GERB secured between 60 and 69 MPs under all of them, with the weakest result during Kalin Stoyanov's tenure. "Now, everyone is talking about partial annulment of the elections", Borissov said, questioning whether this would change the outcome. "If it is so, then I say yes, and I will have 69 MPs sign to annul the vote," Borissov added.

He noted that there is no good faction of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and that he will not work with any of them.

Borissov was referring to the two factions of the MRF: Movement for Rights and Freedoms-New Beginning of Delyan Peevski and the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) of MRF Honorary Chair Ahmed Dogan.

"The election of National Assembly Chair will determine whether or not I will propose consultations at all and whether or not we will go for a cabinet-forming mandate, because at that election I will see whether the colleagues from Vazrazhdane, There Is Such a People respect people's vote," Borissov said.

Asked if he would back a government under the second mandate, Borissov said that he could concede on not being Prime Minister under the first mandate, but "there will not be a second conversation". In his words, GERB has enough individuals who have proven themselves, such as Rossen Zhelyazkov and Raya Nazaryan.

Asked to comment on the idea of General Atanas Atanassov of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) being nominated for Parliament Chair, Borissov said that is unethical given CC-DB's 69 MP seats. "If there is a ruling coalition, then all posts are put on the table. In the present situation, there is nothing to talk about at all," the GERB leader argued. In his words, if there is no option for government, Atanassov's nomination for Parliament Chair is not an option at all.

/RY/