Deputy Parliament Speaker Resigns, Remains MP

Lachezar Ivanov resigned Wednesday from his postiions as a Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and Chief of the Sofia headquarters of the ruling party GERB, and has been suspended as Chair of the Health Committee. However, he will remain a MP from GERB. Phot

Lachezar Ivanov, who was accused by a Bulgarian TV reporter of asserting pressure on the media, has lost his positions as a Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Chief of the Sofia headquarters of the ruling party GERB, and Chair of the Health Committee.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister and GERB leader, Boyko Borisov, announced Wednesday Ivanov's removing from his position, and added that Ivanov will remain an MP from the ruling party.

“Lachezar Ivanov will not be excluded from GERB and resign as an MP because there are no fatal consequences of his actions,” Borisov said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ivanov resigned as a Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and Chief of the Sofia headquarters of the ruling party GERB.

The members of th Executive Committee of GERB have decided to accept his resignation. Some of them believe that Ivanov's decision was a “moral act for admitting his mistake”, which for the time present is enough of a consequence for his action.

Ivanov announced early Wednesday that his decision for resignation was triggered by the accusations of the reporter from the Bulgarian Nova TV, Diliyana Gaytandzhieva.

She claimed that Ivanov has tried to prevent from airing her report, showing the good life of six Bulgarian customs officers because he had “friendly relations” with one of them.

The scandal with Nova TV is not the first one for Lachezar Ivanov. Last year it was discovered that he had traveled to the USA with the former Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev. They were invited by two NGOs, directed by Rumen Hichev, who is also the Director of the Tissue Bank “Osteotek”. The company has contracts with different hospitals for taking tissues.

Earlier this year, Ivanov was involved in the scandal with the lobbyist amendment in the drug act, according to which drugs images were allowed for usage in advertising.