site.btaUPDATED President Iotova Signals Early Post-Easter Snap Parliamentary Elections

At the start of the consultations between President Iliana Iotova and MRF - New Beginning on the caretaker prime minister appointment procedure here on Wednesday, Iotova said that snap parliamentary elections as soon as possible after Easter should be the goal.

The first Sunday after this year's Easter is April 19.

Iotova said: "The goal is to hold fair, transparent, well-organized elections. This will also be the most important task of the future caretaker cabinet. At the same time, the country faces complex weeks and months ahead, during which many important decisions must be made and urgent actions taken. The hundreds of thousands of people who took part in the protests demanded a lawful and just state, and they also demanded that the elections be as fair and transparent as possible."

The President said that the way the caretaker cabinet will operate depends largely on the political responsibility of the National Assembly. She added: "Bulgaria is operating with a budget extension in the first months of our entry into the eurozone, and last year's budget was not designed for this. The price shock must be overcome. Urgent measures must be considered to help the most vulnerable. We must consider the money and projects of the municipalities, the incomes of Bulgarian citizens, and at the same time, we must fulfil our foreign policy commitments."

Iotova argued that the latest amendments to the Constitution that limited the President's choice when it comes to appointing a caretaker prime minister were unwarranted. She added that former president Rumen Radev, in office between 2017 and 2026, submitted these texts to the Constitutional Court in order to "restore the spirit of the Constitution for a true separation of powers", however, this proved to be futile.

Iotova stated: "So today I must name one of the five who have agreed to serve as caretaker prime ministers. Neither president Radev nor I had a say in their selection, and we cannot be held responsible for the caretaker government. That responsibility lies with the National Assembly. Given these amendments, I will name one of those who said 'yes,' but that is not my choice."

Later Wednesday, Iotova will hold consultations with the BSP - United Left and with There Is Such a People.