Small Bulgarian Opposition Party Hit by New Defection

Dimitar Chukarski is the third member to leave RZS party, citing disagreements with the policy of the leadership, which he has described as “too radical”. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) party, which recently saw the demise of its parliamentary group and withdrew its support for the center-right government, suffered the defection of one more member.

Dimitar Chukarski is the third member to leave RZS party, citing disagreements with the policy of the leadership, which he has described as “too radical”.

“With this move I distance myself from the official policy, which leader Yane Yanev follows. From this moment onwards I am just an independent MP,” Chukarski said.

Asked whether he supports the policy of the government, he responded that there are “many decisions, which he has backed and will continue to do so.”

RZS party has been in the spotlight for the last three months following the defection of Mario Tagarinski and Dimitar Abadzhiev, which took its parliamentary group below the ten-member minimum and stripped it of its official status.

The party leader Yane Yanev was quick to blame the prime minister for the falling apart of the parliamentary group and announced he will keep his promise to give the new government a six-month “grace period”, which expired on January 27.

The opposition party staged a rally in the capital Sofia on March 10, which took place under the motto “New constitution – new state”.

Yanvev accuses Borisov of replacing the vote of the people by establishing a new illegal tree-way coalition, modeled on the previous Socialist-led government.

According to him the new behind-the-scene coalition is made up of the leaders of the ruling GERB, the nationalist Ataka and the die-hard right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria parties, which have been the staunchest supporters of the current government.

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