site.btaUPDATED President to Hand Cabinet-Forming Mandate after New Year

President Rumen Radev announced that he will hand over the first exploratory mandate to form a government after the New Year.

The head of state said that during the consultations, held with parliamentary forces on the possibility of forming a regular cabinet under the current legislature, a shared view was expressed that trust in the 51st National Assembly has been exhausted, dialogue between the political forces has been destroyed, and the possibility of early parliamentary elections is already appearing on the horizon.

President Rumen Radev met with representatives of the Velichie parliamentary group on Friday morning. The meeting is part of the procedure for consultations with representatives of parliamentary groups following the government’s resignation, the President’s Press Secretariat announced. 

The President said he expects political forces to honour the commitments made during the consultations and to undertake the necessary legislative changes to minimize the subjective factor in voting and the reporting of results. As specific measures, he cited the introduction of 100% machine voting with electronic reporting and control counting of paper receipts.

Radev also criticized the incumbents, saying it is dishonest to shift responsibility for failures in governance, price control, the debt spiral and social protection of citizens onto others, including through sanctions against protesting citizens. 

“The authorities that forcibly imposed their interests and decisions without regard for Bulgarian citizens should bear their political responsibility to the very end, until the next caretaker government takes office, without abdicating from their constitutional obligations,” the President added. 

“Every parliamentary force and every member of parliament counts, regardless of size,” President Radev said at the start of consultations with Velichie's representatives.

The head of State noted that the party is last on the consultation schedule as the smallest parliamentary force, but emphasized the importance of its “panoramic perspective” on the work of the National Assembly, as it sits highest in the plenary hall. In his words, the hall sometimes turns into a “gladiator arena,” which makes the opinion of all represented parties important.  

The President raised the question of whether there is a future for parliamentary life in the current National Assembly and whether representatives of Velichie would commit to efforts to form a new governing configuration within this Parliament.

Radev also drew attention to the party’s actions in exposing alleged manipulations in the last parliamentary elections, which, he said, deprived it of the parliamentary representation it was entitled to in the 51st National Assembly. In this context, he asked what measures, in their view, can and should be taken to restore trust in the electoral process. 

On the eve of Christmas, Radev called for stepping back from political animosity and returning to enduring values so that citizens can fully enjoy the holidays. He wished everyone a bright Christmas and New Year holidays.  

With this consultation, the round of talks with political formations in the 51st National Assembly will be completed ahead of the continuation of the constitutional procedure for handing over a mandate to form a government, officials at the President's administration added.

Since the beginning of the week, Radev has met with representatives of the other political parties represented in Parliament. On Monday, he received GERB–UDF, followed by Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria.

On Tuesday, the head of state held consultations with Vazrazhdane and Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning.

On Wednesday, consultations were held with BSP - United Left and There Is Such a People.

On Thursday, Radev met with the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms and Morality, Unity, Honour.