site.btaUPDATED BSP-United Left's Kiselova Comments Parliament's Futile Efforts to Elect Its Chair

"I would like to thank Mr [There Is Such a People MP Silvi] Kirilov for the efforts he has been making for three weeks now, because we have never been in such a situation before. I also want to apologise to all Bulgarian citizens for what has happened," BSP-United Left's candidate for Parliament chair Assoc. Prof. Nataliya Kiselova told Bulgarian National TV, as quoted by her coalition in a press release here on Saturday. She explained that her coalition's efforts are aimed at ensuring predictability as to what will happen after Parliament elects its chair.

The Bulgarian National Assembly remains in a legislative deadlock after the eighth attempt to elect a chair failed on Friday. Electing a chair is a critical step for resuming parliamentary functions. The process has been marred by deep political divisions and shifting alliances among parties, fuelled by disputes over leadership nominations and accusations of undue influence. 

The eighth vote culminated in a run-off between Natalia Kiselova (BSP-United Left) and Silvi Kirilov (TISP), with neither candidate securing the required majority. The stalemate persists as parties prepare for a ninth attempt, scheduled for December 4, 2024.

According to Kiselova, the mere election of a chair will not unblock the work of the legislature, because immediately afterwards deputy chairs will have to be elected. Continue the Change-Demcratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) propose that the candidates of each parliamentary group be voted on separately as part of their demand to set up a sanitary cordon around MRF-New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned for corruption by the US and the UK. They also want this to be included in the National Assembly's rules of procedure, which will be on the verge of the Constitution. If this is accepted, we could end up with an elected chair but no deputy chairs. The work of the National Assembly will continue to be blocked," the constitutional expert said.

She stressed that a lot of things have been said, a lot of insults have been hurled at MPs and their constituents and called for this to stop. Kiselova said the question is whether the MPs want this National Assembly to work or go to elections and just revise the Election Code, which is clearly the objective.

"The elections are not just knocking on the door, but are already inside the room. Our efforts are to delay the urgent scheduling of [yet another round of early parliamentary] elections because, in our view, that is the aim of some of the parliamentary groups". 

According to her, there should be no elections under the old rules, but some parties are in a hurry to go to such elections, calling for the election of a Parliament chair, so that the President can hand the exploratory government-forming mandates. Bulgarian MPs should if they want to go to elections quickly or if there an effort that can be made, because the elections will be under the same rules with the same people, said Kiselova. 

At the moment, it is most important that the Constitutional Court rules on the legality of the October 27 elections, because new elections should not be done under the current rules, she added.