site.btaGERB-UDF Floor Leader Says Pleven Region's Water Shortage Issues Would Have Been Solved if He Was PM

GERB-UDF Floor Leader Boyko Borissov said that if he were prime minister, three ministers would be in Pleven and the water shortage issues in the region would already have been solved. Speaking to journalists in Parliament on Thursday, he commented on the words of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria MP Ivaylo Mirchev that the country has three prime ministers: "There are five prime ministers – Slavi [Trifonov, leader of There Is Such a People], [Bulgarian Socialist Party Chair Atanas] Zafirov, myself, [Prime Minister Rosen] Zhelyazkov and [Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan] Peevski, there could have only been one in my person,’ Borissov said.

"I believe that the response has been completely inadequate, I simply cannot write letters," Borissov stated. When asked whether this was a criticism of the ministers from the BSP - United Left quota – the environment and water, and regional development – Borissov replied that it was primarily directed at the Prime Minister, because they are subordinate to him. "He should go to Pleven, take the ministers with him, the water and sewerage holding company with him, the Regional Governor with him, leave them there for 10-15 days, carry out emergency repairs, and if something needs to go through Parliament, he should come and table it. There is no party that will vote against solving the problem, and then we can go to other areas where this problem is brewing," Borisov said. The GERB Chair said he had told all this to Prime Minister Zhelyazkov.

Borissov said "collective irresponsibility" stands behind the lack of quorum, which has been halting National Assembly's sittings for two consecutive days. "Everyone knows that this week there are delegations in Japan, France and the US, and that is why they're doing these tricks," the MP added.

"From day one, this Government has been in the minority, unstable, with diametrically opposed parties. The highest political responsibility before the adoption of the budget and the eurozone entry is to make compromises and get through this period. Currently, there is nothing more advantageous for GERB than elections,’ Borissov added.

"In any case, payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan will go through," Borissov said. However, according to him, they are under risk. The GERB-UDF Floor Leader commented on Renew Europe's letter to the European Commission linking the case against Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev to the assessment of RRP funding for Bulgaria. He argued that "there is no country whose citizens want to stop money coming into it."

"I cannot understand how the people who first started political arrests are now fighting against political arrests. We were arrested without trial, by decision of the prime minister," Borissov said. "I am disappointed and saddened that Kotsev was left in custody. I have been in a similar situation, I know how bad it is, I sympathize with him. Whether it is 24 hours or a month, it is the same thing when the bars close behind you – your reputation, the feeling in the party, among the people, in your family is terrible. It is like being raped once or several times – you are still raped," Borissov argued.