site.btaCaretaker PM-Designate Gurov Begins Consultations on Cabinet

Caretaker Prime Minister-designate Andrey Gurov said he is beginning consultations on the composition of a caretaker government after President Iliana Iotova tasked him with forming a caretaker cabinet. Meetings and talks are forthcoming, Gurov said, adding that the main task at the moment is to ensure fair elections so that Bulgarian citizens see the value in voting.

"At the moment we have a budget that is an extension of last year's. We will certainly need to prepare one more extension, as the election date has been moved. Depending on the election results, there will be talks, in my view, the new government should come with its own vision for governing and for the country’s budget," Gurov said.

He added that the names of the future caretaker ministers are entirely his responsibility.

"What we agreed on with the Presidency is that there should be no straw figures, no carved-up territories in this cabinet," Gurov said, adding that people protesting in the streets have clearly stated they do not want such governance.

Gurov also stressed that he is not dependent on any political party.

"We will work on the most important tasks facing the state to ensure a smooth transfer of power to the next majority, to address any crises that may arise, and to provide stability, to get the job done without creating hysteria," he said.

Asked whether Boyko Rashkov could be nominated as interior minister, Gurov replied that "all options are on the table". He said there is a clear requirement for the interior minister: the person must have a solid reputation and be able to enter the ministry on day one and begin taking action to guarantee fair elections. In his view, the list of such candidates is not long. "In my opinion, it should be someone from within the Interior Ministry system," Gurov added.

"We are looking at the situation as a whole - both the interior minister and the justice minister. We have a person who has usurped the office of the chief prosecutor, and the justice minister must take action," Gurov also said.

Speaking earlier as he was handed the mandate to form a caretaker Cabinet, Gurov stated that he would approach the task "with reason and responsibility". "The current situation where no one trusts anyone, is not normal," he said.