More than a month after Bulgaria's general elections the country has not had a new government. The first exploratory mandate for government formation was first handed to the election-winning Socialist Party, who held coalition talks with Simeon II National Movement (SIINM). The centrists withdrew in the last minute, dooming the Socialists to a failure in their attempt to push through a minority government plan. Afterwards, June 25 runner-up SIINM received the second mandate. The centrists decided to reject it Thursday.

Bulgaria's Constitution entitles the head of state to assign the third mandate for government formation to one of the other political forces in Parliament.

President Georgi Parvanov held Friday consultations with all parliamentary represented powers for forming Bulgaria's next government in the third mandate. A four-party coalition among the Socialists, SIINM, the Turks' Movement for Rights and Freedoms and rightist Bulgarian People's Union has emerged a possible option.

Below is a summary of the statements of participants in the presidential consultations from all seven parliamentary forces.

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