site.btaUPDATED President Iotova: "I Have No Way of Raising Objections to Composition of Caretaker Cabinet, It Is Not My Choice"

“I have no way of raising objections to the composition of the caretaker cabinet, because it is not my choice,” said President Iliana Iotova on Thursday. She was attending the ceremony at which the caretaker government took the oath of office at the National Assembly.

She added that she does have certain reservations about some of the members of the Cabinet.

"I nominated Andrey Gurov. He conducted interviews with the people you saw today and chose them, and they declared that they would work in the interests of Bulgaria," said Iliana Iotova. "Today, in the plenary hall, Gurov outlined seven points, and we will strictly monitor their implementation. From the very first day, I stated that the presidential institution would act as a corrective to the fulfillment of these promises, because the commitments made were very serious. I liked the emphasis on depoliticizing the cabinet - hopefully they will adhere to it," the head of State added.

President Iotova explained that she cannot be held responsible for the choices of every minister and that her oversight will be transparent.

Asked whether the cabinet includes people directly linked to political parties, Iotova replied: "There are such people, but I place greater trust in their professional expertise." 

On Wednesday, Prime Minister designate Andrey Gurov presented the proposed composition of the government to President Iotova.

President Iotova also commented Thursday on the veto she imposed on amendments to the Election Code that slashed the number of voting sections in Bulgarian elections in countries outside the EU. She said that she had presented her legal arguments. “Both I and my legal team believe that texts in the amendments are at odds with the Constitution. I have also expressed my personal opinion that we must give all Bulgarians abroad, regardless of where they live, the opportunity to exercise their right to vote," she said.