The splinter group that left Bulgaria's ruling party in March will not rejoin it even though the break-away MPs commended the reshuffles in the incumbent floor group. The leader of the recently set parliamentary group - National Ideal for Unity (NIE) - warned against rash conclusions after officials of the ruling party predicted reunion.

NIE leader Nikola Nikolov said that, in spite its decision to stay independent, his group hopes for better ties with the incumbent floor group. He praised the qualities of the new floor leader of the ruling Simeon II National Movement, Stanimir Ilchev, and voiced a wish for intensified communication.

Nikolov pointed out that he now expects to meet with the leadership of the incumbent parliamentary group. He stressed that the former chief Plamen Panayotov who turned over the post to Ilchev over a ministerial nomination has never had a meeting with NIE members following the separation. "He used to show no willingness to listen," Nikolov explained. The splinter leader said he would seek to meet Panayotov's successor and his deputies next week.

One of the MPs that independently left the ruling majority - Elka Atanasova - said she would not come back as the reshuffle was not "healing" enough. The last MP to break away - Rumyana Georgieva - said she would wait to see what direction the incumbents would take on and then ponder a reunion.