site.btaMedia Review: April 1

POLITICS

An op-ed in Mediapool.bg entitled "'Let us at least set clear conditions': MRF-Dogan decides whether to remain part of the majority" suggests that the Cabinet of Rosen Zhelyazkov will likely go through its first no-confidence vote over the coming week. The author of the article believes that the motion is destined to fail, "despite the possibility that the ruling GERB-BSP-TISP [There Is Such a People] coalition could officially remain in the minority, if it is abandoned by the DRF-Dogan party supporting it." The article points out that the MPs from Democracy, Rights and Freedoms (DRF) are scheduled to gather on Tuesday to decide whether to continue supporting the cabinet, since GERB, BSP and TISP "totally ignore them".

The article continues: "The leading motive of the DRF-Dogan to support this government was the hope that it would limit the influence of their political opponent [leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning] Delyan Peevski in the state, and he would not use the state institutions to crack down on the Dogan-supporters. However, this did not happen. What is more, the appointments that began in the regulators have shown that GERB, BSP and TISP are installing people convenient to Peevski there. At the same time, for the second month now, the Prime Minister has refused to appoint the three deputy ministers proposed by DRF-Dogan."

The op-ed states that while it was important for DRF-Dogan to play a role and use it to strengthen their party positions on the ground, so far, they have seen poor results - Peevski is still strong, and Dogan's loyalists have no leverage in the government. It got to the point that the ruling coalition of GERB-BSP-TISP, instead of accepting the appointments of DRF, announced that it is ready to stop with the election of new members in the regulators. The conflict escalated last week after yet another case in which Peevski's supposedly opposition group MRF - New Beginning replaced MRF-Dogan as part of the majority to elect members of regulators. "This was another glaring example of the crucial role in governance of Peevski, the politician sanctioned for corruption under the Global Magnitsky Act, amid the disdain of the triple coalition GERB-BSP-TISP for their official partner MRF-Dogan," the text reports and points to Rosen Karadimov as one of Peevski's people who got nominated by BSP - United Left for Chair of the Commission for Protection of Competition.

In a story headlined "The fourth in power: Dogan quits in a bid to survive, Peevski warms up on the starting line" Dnevnik.bg writes: "On Thursday (April 3) Parliament will vote on the first vote of no-confidence against the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov. Two days earlier one of the four partners, DRF, is expected to publicly leave the ruling majority. For the incumbent, however, the outcome of both seems to have a foretold happy ending: the vote will certainly not pass, and the future for the Cabinet looks safe because of the support of another (vocal or not) helper - MRF - New Beginning". According to this story, the big loser from the change of positions appears to be DRF, the party of MRF founder Ahmed Dogan, whose future looks uncertain both because of the failure to gain government positions and because of the deepening internal contradictions, the marred image as a result of participation in the government and the almost certain loss in the battle with Delyan Peevski for the MRF brand and legacy.

In a Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) interview, journalist Mehmed Umer said it is hard to predict whether any deputies will leave DRF, because the parliamentary rules of organization do not allow political nomadism and, should they leave their group, their only option is to become unaffiliated. That is why he does not expect many MPs to leave the group. "The biggest concern is the silence of Ahmed Dogan, and it does not help the political process. Everybody knows that he makes the decisions, but he does not show up and does not give interviews. What matters most is what Dogan thinks." Umer said it is also possible that somebody from DRF may want to take the leader’s office from Dzhevdet Chakarov.

Again on BNR, Ibrahim Karahasan Chynar, a historian and journalist, said that DRF have become marginalized while they want “a share of the pie”. They seemingly support the coalition, but they are actually in deep isolation, which is not to their liking. “Delyan Peevski said Monday that they are a bunch of people and won’t influence the outcome of the no-confidence vote. Delyan Peevski is winning in this rivalry, and it is him that the government coalition needs for its survival. […] When Peevski decided to emancipate himself [from Dogan] many expected to see his [Peevski's] fall, but they had underestimated him. He prevailed thanks to his financial levers, which give him independence,” said Karahasan Chynar.

Journalist Valeria Veleva said in an interview for bTV that even if Democracy, Rights and Freedoms refuse the coalition the votes it needs to survive the no-confidence motion, the coalition can rely on votes from Peevski's Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning instead.

Political expert Nidal Algafari told bTV that the motion was tabled in order to have the three political entities that tabled it (Vazrazhdane, Velichie, and Morality, Unity, Honour) gain popularity among the electorate. He added: "There are people with a statesmanlike mindset for whom it is much more important for the country to be stable, especially in this period until we are accepted into the eurozone, than to go to elections."

Sega writes that the discontent within Ahmed Dogan's faction against its current leadership is turning into calls for the honorary leader to personally take over the DRF leadership. A declaration to this effect has been prepared by the DRF chapter in the southern town of Krichim, which is being circulated among Dogan's supporters. "This has happened before during times of crises in MRF," Sega writes. The declaration, signed by the leader of DRF - Krichim, Syuzan Mollayusein, insists that a Central Council of the party (referring to those DPS structures that have remained loyal to Dogan) be convened to reconsider the support that has been given so far to the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov. Many of Dogan's supporters are extremely dissatisfied with the Cabinet, believing it is secretly controlled by their rival Delian Peevski. As a result, such calls for leaving the parliamentary majority have become more frequent recently.

24 Chasa says that DRF activists are pushing for establishing a new party with Ahmed Dogan at the helm. DRF deputies are rumoured to be planning to leave the DRF group in Parliament. The rumour was spread by former MRF cadre a day before DRF is due to decide on its support for the Cabinet.

BULGARIAN KILLED IN GAZA

24 Chasa quotes an interview that Miroslav Zafirov, diplomat and political adviser at the UN Mission in Israel, gave for the Bulgarian National Television on the death of his colleague Marin Marinov who was killed in an attack in Gaza on March 19. Zafirov stated that Marinov's death was not a random accident and added: "With a great deal of confidence I can say that to date, we do know what the reason for the death of the Bulgarian citizen Marin Marinov was. This intel is not official. It is yet to be formalized, which, of course, I hope will not calm passions but will at least answer all the assumptions and conjectures that are floating around in Bulgarian society and which, unfortunately, as far as I understand, will be used tomorrow [on Wednesday] for some political purposes that are not too sound.

Zafirov said that there is no need for the Bulgarian state to do its own investigation, because currently both Israel and the UN are conducting their own investigations.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION BUILDING DEFACED AT ANTI-EURO RALLY

24 Chasa and Dnevnik.bg report that the four men charged with hooliganism after the anti-euro rally in Sofia organized by Vazrazhdane on February 22 have been released. The rally culminated with the crowd throwing eggs filled with red paint at the European Commission building in Sofia and setting its entrance on fire. Ten police officers were injured during the riot. One of the prosecution service's motives for releasing the rioters is that a month in detention "had an educational effect on them, and they are no longer in danger of committing another crime".

EDUCATION

Mediapool.bg reports that the rector of the Technical University of Sofia, Ivan Kralov, who resigned as rector of the university on March 27 after the Supreme Administrative Court established a conflict of interests, has been appointed vice rector of the same school. In this position, Kralov will be responsible for academic activities, accreditation and academic staff.

TRAFFIC

Telegraph's front-page reports that policymakers are preparing to introduce a spike in car insurance for vehicles with their steering wheel on the right. The argument behind the proposed legislation is that such cars pose a considerably higher risk on Bulgarian roads, which implement right-hand traffic.

BALKANS

Capital.bg has published an interview with Turkish writer and Nobel Prize-winner Orhan Pamuk for The Guardian who said that the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, former Istanbul mayor and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's biggest political rival, on obviously false charges of corruption and terrorism is a sign that what little Turkish democracy is left is now fighting for its life. Pamuk is adamant that the jailing of Imamoglu is the low of Erdogan's decade-long march towards autocracy.

WESTERN EUROPE

On Nova TV, political science professor Ana Krasteva comments the sentencing of Marine Le Pen. According to her, Le Pen is a most experienced politician. "One of the first reactions was how to the palette of her images was added that of the victim, the accused. She became a kind of 'mother of the nation'. She has an incredible ability to communicate with people," Krasteva explained. In her words, this is not the first tremor in France's political system. French citizens have a high political culture, the professor added. "We see a clash of two narratives. On the one hand is the narrative that no one is above the law. This decision [of the court] is based on real facts. Is democracy above the law is the big question which the second narrative cannot answer. The final decision will be taken after the court ruling is reviewed. Two years is quite a lot of time, and it is possible that it [the decision] will come out before the official campaign for the European elections," Krasteva concluded.

HEALTHCARE

In an interview for bTV, head of the Infectious Diseases Clinic at the Military Medical Academy in Sofia, Prof. Georgi Popov, reported that meningococcal disease is very rare, its severe cases even more so. He added that meningococcal disease can develop very quickly, which is why people, and parents of young children in particular, should be aware of its symptoms: headache, fever, irritability, photophobia, lethargy.