National Assembly Chair Imposes Reprimand on CC-DB MP Peikov for Disrupting Order, Later Removes Him from Sitting

UPDATED National Assembly Chair Imposes Reprimand on CC-DB MP Peikov for Disrupting Order, Later Removes Him from Sitting

Risida Dimitrova, Teodora Tsaneva

CC-DB MP Manol Peikov arguing with National Assembly Speaker Raya Nazaryan (BTA Photo/Minko Chernev)

Sofia,

29.01.2026 15:16 | UPDATED 29.01.2026 16:05

(BTA)

On Thursday, National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan imposed a formal reprimand on Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria MP Manol Peikov for disrupting the National Assembly plenary sitting and gave a 10-minute break, so that he could take his seat in the plenary hall.

After MPs voted on the first reading of Vazrazhdane’s bill to amend the Election Code, Peikov took the floor to explain why he voted against the bill. After exceeding his speaking time, Nazaryan turned off his microphone, but he refused to leave the podium.

After the sitting was interrupted, Manol Peikov got into an argument with Vazrazhdane MP Angel Slavchev and tried to splash him with water, which landed on the quaestor who had come to restore order.

When the parliamentary sitting resumed, Nazaryan said that something unacceptable had happened after the break and Peikov would certainly be reprimanded. As this was a clear sign of disrespect toward the National Assembly, the act would be punished with removal from the sitting, she added, but in order not to be accused of depriving Peikov of his vote, he would be removed from plenary after the CC-DB bill is voted on.

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov called on Nazaryan to remove Peikov immediately. "Clashes between MPs happen very often, it is part of parliamentary debates," but the people who work at the National Assembly are not to blame, they do not participate in these debates, he added.

Peikov apologized to the quaestor from the parliamentary rostrum and to all TV viewers for what had happened. "What I did was absolutely unacceptable, my hand twitched, it was not directed at the quaestor," he explained. He said he understood Nazaryan's reaction, but not why she was applying a double standard because, in his words, what Vazrazhdane was doing was no less unacceptable than what he had done. Peikov noted that Kostadinov insulted him every time they passed each other in the corridor.

Nazaryan stated that Vazrazhdane is the most punished parliamentary group, and Peikov knows how tolerant she has been towards him. She called on him again to rethink and change his behaviour so as not to be punished.

/RY/