Historic Stalemate: Bulgarian Parliament Fails to Elect Speaker for Seventh Time (UPDATED)
The Bulgarian parliament has entered its 18th day without electing a speaker, marking a historic impasse in the 51st National Assembly
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) parliamentary group, led by Delyan Peevski (i.e. DPS-Peevski), has announced it will not participate in negotiations to form a cabinet with the third mandate. Peevski, still serving as the party's (co)chairman, stated that the decision stems not from a lack of belief in the necessity of a stable government for Bulgaria, but from a refusal to engage in what he called "cheap populism" and time-wasting. He criticized 'There Is Such a People' (TISP) for their perceived political weakness and expressed a firm stance against cooperating with the pro-Russian party 'Revival,' labeling it a non-negotiable red line. Peevski suggested that TISP should promptly return the mandate to enable President Radev to fulfill his constitutional duties and schedule new parliamentary elections.
Conversely, the faction of DPS aligned with honorary chairman Dr. Ahmed Dogan, referred to as DPS-Dogan, is open to discussions with TISP. Timur Halilov, representing this group, stated that they seek to find common goals and priorities for forming a government. A meeting between TISP and DPS-Dogan representatives is scheduled for tomorrow at 16:00.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has also expressed willingness to engage in talks with TISP regarding the third mandate. Borislav Gutsanov, BSP's parliamentary group chairman, emphasized the party's view that the third mandate represents an opportunity for parliamentary dialogue and alignment on national priorities. He expressed hope for wisdom and statesmanship to prevail, preventing the need for yet another round of early elections. Key issues for BSP include social policy, healthcare, peace, and energy, with a preference for an expert, supra-party cabinet of national salvation. Gutsanov underscored the importance of dialogue in achieving a regular cabinet and stabilizing the political environment.
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The Bulgarian parliament has entered its 18th day without electing a speaker, marking a historic impasse in the 51st National Assembly
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