site.btaMPs Fail to Elect National Assembly Chair During Inaugural Sitting

MPs failed to elect a chair for the 51st National Assembly during their inaugural sitting on Monday. The vote was held in two rounds, with GERB-UDF's Raya Nazaryan and Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria's Andrey Tsekov in the run-off. Tsekov received 68 votes in favour, 86 against and 85 abstentions. Nazaryan also received 68 votes, with 121 against and 50 abstentions.

A total of five candidates were put forward in the first round - Nazaryan, Tsekov, Vazrazhdane's Petar Petrov, BSP - United Left's Nataliya Kiselova and There Is Such a People's (TISP) Nikoleta Kuzmanova. 

After the failure of the procedure, TISP Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov proposed that the oldest MP - TISP's Silvi Kirilov - be temporarily elected acting National Assembly chair and remain in office until a majority is formed to elect its own chair. "This will allow us to form groups in Parliament, committees and to have normal talks between parliamentary groups, which have not been held so far for a possible majority. This will also allow the President to trigger the process of handing out mandates," Yordanov explained.

The next attempt to elect National Assembly chair will be made during Wednesday's sitting.