The Bill to close the Main Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime, GDBOP and transfer it to the State Agency for National Security, DANS, has been passed in Bulgaria's Parliament at first reading.

After heated, 4-hour-long debates Friday, the Members of the Parliament voted to approve the amendments – 197 MPs total took part in the vote – 114 were "for," 83, all from the formerly-ruling center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB voted "against." No one abstained.

The Bill also reinstates DANS' officers' authority to conduct investigations parallel with policemen from the Interior Ministry. It regulates the actions for search and arrest of suspects.

In addition, according to the amendments, DANS' Director will be elected and dismissed by the Parliament, not by the Council of Ministries as it was until now. The work of the Agency will be subject to parliamentary control as well.

Former DANS Director, Tsvetlin Yovchev, who is now Minister of Interior in the Cabinet "Oresharski," stated from the parliamentary tribune that the goal was to improve both the work of the Interior Ministry and DANS, provide better national security protection, and effectively tackle corruption and crime.

He stressed there was not a universal model for the above that would guarantee full success, but noted his institution had enough resources to deal with the tasks, and pledged clear distinction between the functions of the police and DANS, along with their cooperation.

During the debates, Sergey Stanishev, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, accused GERB of turning the Agency into an ineffective body and of dismantling the unit for control on special surveillance devices, which led to unauthorized mass wiretappings and huge scandals

The leader of the liberal ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, Lyutvi Mestan, pointed out GERB slashed DANS' authorities in order to increase the authority and powers of the Interior Minister.

Volen Siderov, leader of the far-right nationalist party Ataka, stated the Bill was sound and backed strengthening DANS' role.

Former Deputy Interior Minister and now GERB MP, Vesselin Vuchkov, countered the reform was hasty, while former Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, accused BSP and DPS of establishing political police and of attempting to shove GDBOP's investigations under the rug.

"You Mr. Vuchkov have now right to speak about police brutality as you and your former boss bear full responsibility for it. And now we see clearly that you never were a non-partisan Interior official, but just a GERB ally," Siderov countered in a reply to Vuchkov's words.

Meanwhile, an altercation erupted as former GERB Transport Minister, GERB MP, Ivaylo Moskovski, shouted a remark at Siderov while he was walking back to his seat. Only the quick intervention of GERB and Ataka MPs prevented a fistfight between the two.

The second reading of the DANS Bill is scheduled for Monday.

The Friday vote came amidst news of a number of reshuffles at DANS and the Interior.

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