Bulgaria Ruling GERB Wants All President Transcripts Made Public

The Speaker of the Parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva, says GERB would not appoint an investigation committee to probe the case with the Presidnet publishing the transcript from his meeting with the Finance Minister without permission. Photo by BGNES

The ruling GERB party demands that the Presidential institution publishes all transcripts from all meetings during the two terms of Georgi Parvanov.

The transcripts in question include all talks with businessmen and politicians, discussions during official visits and consultations for the appointment of the cabinets in 2001, 2005, and 2009.

The information was announced after the Tuesday meeting of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) Executive Committee to discuss the transcript and the audio record from the March 5 talks between Parvanov and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov.

GERB’s Executive Committee announced that they interpreted the publication of the transcript as a violation of the Constitution and recommended to the parliamentary group to discuss with NGOs and experts the public and legal consequences and to initiate the process for the removal of the President.

In connection with Parvanov's move to make the meeting's transcript public GERB is asking the following questions:

1.When and how the recording of meetings has been decided upon and has the public been informed about these recordings, and if not, why just now, at the end of the President's second term, it is been announced?

2.What are the guarantees that the lack of clear and publicly presented rules for recording and publishing audio and text information from the President's official meetings is not leading to subjective, mercenary political reasons when publishing the information?

3.If the President's official talks are always recorded, are the participants asked for their permission to do so and how many of them have been aware that such recordings of their statements and opinions exists?

4.Are talks with diplomats, ambassadors, and other foreign representatives recorded and have they been notified and asked for permission? What is happening with those transcripts, how are they used and where are they stored?

5.If the recordings are the common practice of the Presidential institution, can all of them be made available to the public?

If GERB's request for publishing all transcripts is not fulfilled, the party will consider the refusal as definite proof that the publishing of the one from the meeting with Djankov was aimed at discrediting the Minister, giving the President the opportunity to criticize the cabinet and to send political messages to the public, in discrepancy with his duty to represent the unity of the Nation.

GERB further say Parvanov's behavior is an unprecedented act of violation of civic and constitutional rights.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva, informed the media that GERB would not appoint an investigation committee to probe the case because the Constitution does include such procedure.

The GERB Executive Committee will undertake the measures provided by article 103 of the Constitution to remove the President before the end of his term.

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