site.btaUPDATED Raya Nazaryan Elected Parliament Chair Following Nataliya Kiselova's Resignation

Raya Nazaryan, nominated by the GERB–UDF Parliamentary Group, was elected Chair of the 51st National Assembly. She received the support of 129 members of Parliament, while 77 voted against and 14 abstained. 

Her candidacy was supported by GERB–UDF, DPS–New Beginning, BSP–United Left, There Is Such a People (TISP), and four independent MPs (not affiliated with any parliamentary group). Those against included 11 MPs from Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), Vazrazhdane, Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, Morality, Unity, Honor (MECh) and Velichie. Fourteen MPs from CC-DB abstained.

At the start of Wednesday's plenary session earlier, following its opening, Nataliya Kiselova (BSP–United Left) announced that she had submitted a request to step down from the position of Parliament Chair.

Vazrazhdane nominated Tsoncho Ganev, Deputy Chair of the 51st Parliament, for the post. He received 4 votes in favor, 118 against, and 62 abstentions. 

Ganev was supported by his fellow party members and the group Velichie. Opposing votes came from GERB–UDF (31 MPs), CC-DB, MRF – New Beginning, BSP – United Left (three MPs), TISP, Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, and four independent MPs. Those who abstained included 32 MPs from GERB–UDF, four from CC-DB, 12 from BSP–United Left, two from TISP, one from the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, and one from Morality, Unity, Honor.

On Tuesday, the government coalition of GERB-UDF, BSP-United Left and TISP decided that Nazaryan will replace Kiselova as Chair of the National Assembly. The Joint Governance Council of the three-party coalition decided earlier on Tuesday to introduce rotational chairmanship of parliament. GERB said on Facebook that the rotation will take place every ten months.