site.btaUPDATED GERB-UDF Terminates Government Formation Talks

No agreement was reached with Democratic Bulgaria on the composition of a future government and the name of a candidate for prime minister at Sunday’s meeting of the negotiating teams of GERB-UDF, Democratic Bulgaria (DB), BSP-United Left, and There Is Such a People (TISP) in the National Assembly, BTA learned from a GERB-UDF press release.

After DB’s refusal to support the first nomination of GERB-UDF for prime minister, that of party leader Boyko Borissov, GERB-UDF nominated Rosen Zhelyazkov. On Sunday, DB rejected his nomination as well. As a consequence, GERB-UDF terminated the negotiations.

GERB-UDF thanks the teams of BSP-United Left and TISP for their participation in the negotiations and for their constructive tone.

Whether GERB will immediately return the unfulfilled mandate for forming a government is their own decision, according to BSP-United Left Deputy Floor Leader Manol Genov, who was part of the negotiating team. 

"On Tuesday we start work, as per the rules, committees, meetings, and now whether a folder will be handed over and it will be returned immediately, this is a decision of the largest party and the mandate holder - in this case the political party GERB," said Manol Genov.

Asked if this means a new round of early parliamentary elections, he said he can hardly see another option.

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Democratic Bulgaria said in a press release that they had now learned from the media that GERB is terminating the negotiations for a regular government. After the end of Sunday’s meeting, the agreement on joint governance is not complete, although it is at a very advanced stage, the political force said in a press release. 

For DB, the choice of prime minister and the composition of a future government have always been conditional on a completed agreement and a leadership meeting. This position was explicitly confirmed once again at the last meeting, as well as their idea of a prime minister who is not a leading political figure, the DB also said.