Bulgarian PM Resigned to Expose Enemies - Interior Min

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has resigned in order to expose his political opponents, Borisov's closest aide, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov has said.

"You know how ridiculous were the claims in the recent months of the opposition that the current government would organize the least democratic elections in Bulgaria in the past 23 years," Tsvetanov said before Tuesday's meeting of Bulgaria's Consultative National Security Council, referring to the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS).

"That's why the PM made this decision – to resign in order to terminate these mean speculations on part of our political opponents," Tsvetanov added.

In his words, BSP and DPS now must take responsibility and form a government in Bulgaria in order to organize the elections themselves.

"Let those who urged us to resign now hold honest and fair elections," he stated, reiterating calls from Borisov and his GERB party regarding the opposition.

Tsvetanov did say he believed the Bulgarian citizens had no way of being manipulated, and there would be fair and democratic elections anyway.

After the Borisov Cabinet resigned last week as a result of growing protests against power utilities and corruption, GERB as well as the opposition parties have made it clear each of them would refuse to set up a government for the remainder of the term, and that a caretaker cabinet must be appointed to organize early elections in April-May 2013.

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