site.btaJustice Minister Suspects Frequent No-confidence Votes Are Intended to Keep Parliament and Cabinet from Functioning

Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev said on Wednesday that the much too frequent votes of no confidence in the government are apparently aimed to keep Parliament and the cabinet from functioning.

“I propose that after each no-confidence vote you move for, you vote to approve three or four bills proposed by the cabinet and passed in the committees, so we can do something useful for the Bulgarian citizens, not just engage in empty talk,” Georgiev said, addressing the 54 members of the parliamentary groups of MECh, Velichie and Vazrazhdane, who moved for a second vote of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, this time over corruption.

Georgiev presented the anti-corruption legislation drafted by the government in the short time since it took over on January 16. He listed Council of Ministers bills to amend the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Administrative Violations and Penalties Act.

As further examples of the government’s anti-corruption efforts, the Justice Minister cited, among other legislative proposals, the Whistleblowers Protection Bill, which is necessary for the reforms required under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, and amendments to the Local Self-governance and Local Administration Act.