Bulgaria Socialist MPs Leave Budget Debate, Change Mind Later

The Members of the Parliament from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) left the 2010 budget debates only to come back one hour later. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

The Socialist Members of the Parliament left the second reading of the proposed 2010 State budget in sign of protest over text approved by the majority.

The MPs from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) also threatened to notify the Constitutional Court about the text providing that the Council of Ministers can reduce the non-interest expenditures under their established amount when there are economic and financial indicators that the economy’s development would be less favorable than the forecast.

The socialists insist this is a violation of the law because it undermines the role of the Parliament.

The MPs from the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party countered that the previous cabinet, in which BSP played a major role, had similar texts. The BSP MPs argued theirs included concrete parameters and numbers. The socialist were baked by the opposition ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party whose MPs remained in plenary hall.

The debates are well into their 12th hour. The Parliament decided to air them live on Bulgaria’s National TV (BNT). The GERB MPs say they wanted the public to see that the socialists are not in plenary hall.

During the broadcast it became clear the majority of the BSP group changed their mind and decided to return to the debate. GERB accused them of having dinner and a drink and upon realizing that there is a TV broadcast making the decision to come back.

The MPs from the conservative Order, Law and Justice party (RZS) left earlier in the evening when the parliament voted against their proposal to to reduce the presidential institution’s budget.

Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, is also in the plenary hall, something that has not been on his Wednesday evening agenda.

Around 10:30 pm the MPs decided to end the live broadcast.

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