Bulgaria Ruling Party Dealt Heavy Blow over State Gazette Scandal

Plamen Tsekov (L), deputy chair of the health commission, and Svetlin Tanchev (R), chair of the European Affairs parliamentary commission. Photo by BGNES

A blunder that put an illegitimate amendment to the drugs law in the State Gazette will most probably throw out of their high posts two members of Bulgaria's parliament, elected on the ticket of the ruling GERB party.

Svetlin Tanchev, chair of the European Affairs parliamentary commission, and Plamen Tsekov, deputy chair of the health commission, should be dismissed following a recommendation to this effect by the ad hoc body, which was formed to probe the case and come up with a ruling.

The commission held its last meeting on Tuesday morning, when its final report was presented in parliament.

"I personally expect Tanchev and Tsekov to submit their resignations even though they are not forced to do so for the time being,” Rumen Ivanov, head of the ad hoc body, commented.

According to him the executive commission of GERB party will confirm and accept their resignations.

The amendment to the law on drugs, which was published in Bulgaria's State Gazette without the approval of the parliament or the president, has so far been innocently passed off as an involuntary mistake by the ruling GERB party, who has been accused of lobbying and forging a part of the law on drugs.

The illegitimate amendment was published in the State Gazette edition on March 23 and actually relieved the regime for advertising agencies to use images, resembling drugs.

Experts have commented that a legislative amendment can not be treated as a technical change and should also be given the green light by the parliament and the president, who has called the incident “a precedent”.

The parliamentary health commission put to the vote the amendment at the beginning of April and corrected the mistake.

Should they be kicked out, Svetlin Tanchev and Plamen Tsekov will become the second and third members of parliament from the ruling GERB party to be forced to say goodbye to high-ranking posts in parliamentary commissions.

Earlier this week Lachezar Ivanov, deputy parliament speaker, chair of the heath commission and leader of the Sofia unit of the ruling GERB party, was forced to resign after a journalist revealed he tried to prevent a reportage on custom officers from going on air on Nova TV channel.

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