site.btaUPDATED GERB-UDF Have Officially Refused to Invite CC-DB to Talks until They Choose Parliament Chair with Someone Else, Says CC-DB's Borislavova

GERB-UDF have officially refused to invite Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) for talks until they choose with someone else a National Assembly Chair, who could be the next caretaker prime minister, Lena Borislavova MP of CC-DB told journalists here on Thursday. She was asked whether GERB-UDF had already invited them for talks.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, CC-DB held talks with some of the parliamentary forces. Seeking support for their proposed declaration of a "sanitary cordon" around Delyan Peevski and his MRF - New Beginning and the legislative priorities set out in the document, CC-DB met with representatives of MECh, the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, There is Such a People,  and BSP - United Left. The GERB-UDF group sent a written refusal to the invitation for a meeting.

In Borislavova's words, at the moment CC-DB see an absolute refusal of the first political force to work in a transparent way to form a government and impose conditions that only aim to push Bulgaria towards new elections. The offer of GERB leader Boyko Borissov as prime minister is not a real offer; it is a stop condition to shift the blame on others who do not accept this initially unacceptable condition, she believes.

Asked about possible concessions to Vazrazhdane given the lack of sufficient votes to support CC-DB's declaration, Borislavova replied: "It is very clearly stated in the declaration what the purpose of the 'sanitary cordon' is. We are currently not holding talks with Vazrazhdane because this is the formation with which we have the biggest ideological differences and understandings of how the country should be governed."

Asked whether they were ready for any compromises, MP Nadezhda Yordanova of CC-DB said their conditions were very clearly set. A conversation is needed, absolutely no solution can be reached without a conversation, she added. In her words, it is time to stop talking through the TV cameras and start real work.

In a Facebook post later on Thursday, CC-DB co-leader Kiril Petkov wrote: "GERB come up with many reasons not to talk to us, but the truth is only one: they cannot actually give up Peevski."

Petkov recalls that CC-DB's declaration demanding a "sanitary cordon" around Peevski's MRF - New Beginning aims to find agreement in the 51st National Assembly to remove several key levers of influence from Peevski's hands: prosecutor general, counter-corruption commission head, deputy chair of the National Assembly, and heads of parliamentary committees.

Petkov notes that currently the whole country is in a stupor, without a functioning parliament and without a regular government. According to him, all this is because of "GERB's inability to say a firm no to Peevski".

"MRF - New Beginning" bought tens of thousands of votes in the elections - a fact that is clearly visible from the difference between the personal support for their leader (3.3%) and the party result (11.5%). How could those who do not like Peevski vote for his party?" asks Petkov, pointing out that MRF - New Beginning is practically an illegitimately elected party.

According to Petkov, it is obvious that even the fate of an entire nation cannot destroy the strong bond between GERB and Delyan Peevski. "We know that if it doesn't break once and for all now, the future will only get worse. This time there is no middle ground! As I have said before: the question is, does Bulgaria have a future as a state governed by the rule of law? The road may be long and rocky, but with common efforts we will get there!", Petkov writes.