site.btaPart of Opposition Is Trying to Block Bulgaria’s Eurozone Entry, Undermine Parliament, Interior Minister Says

Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said Thursday that part of the opposition is trying to block Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone and to undermine both the government and the functioning of Parliament. He made his statement during a visit to Sliven, where he took part in the annual performance review of the local Interior Ministry Regional Directorate.

"The constant requests for hearings on all kinds of topics are not normal for the work of a functioning parliament," Mitov said. "Hearings can and should take place in the relevant committees, which is their proper place - not in plenary. The blocking of Parliament’s work and the attempt to turn it into a convention rather than a legislative body is the opposition’s obvious goal," he argued.

According to Mitov, it is inappropriate to demand a no-confidence vote for "systemic failures" when the government has been in office for only three months. He emphasized that the role of the parliamentary majority is to prevent such tactics from succeeding. Mitov noted that Parliament should remain focused on its legislative responsibilities in order to allow the executive branch to perform its duties effectively.

The first no-confidence motion against the Zhelyazkov Cabinet, filed on the grounds of foreign policy failures, was unsuccessful. It was supported by only 54 MPs, while 150 voted against it. On Thursday, MPs from the Morality, Unity and Honour (MECh) party tabled a second no-confidence motion, supported by Vazrazhdane” and Velichie.