Bulgaria's Ruling GERB Mulls President's Impeachment

The co-Chair of the GERB Parliamentary group, Krasimir Velchev. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria's ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party is going to consult other political formations about launching an impeachment procedure against President, Georgi Parvanov.

The statement was made Thursday by the co-Chair of the GERB Parliamentary group, Krasimir Velchev, in response to a reporter's question.

Earlier on Thursday, the leader of the far-right, nationalist Ataka party, Volen Siderov, asked all Parliamentary groups to begin a procedure for the impeachment.

The urge to impeach Parvanov, a former leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), came on the heels of the President taking part in the official presentation of Bulgaria's latest political project named Alternative for Bulgarian Revival, ABV, (the first three letters of the Bulgarian alphabet).

The Bulgarian Constitution bans the Head of State from leading political parties or being a party member.

According to Velchev, if the President has violated the Constitution, legal actions must be undertaken. The discussions on a possible impeachment would be held next week, he said.

"The Constitution clearly states the Head of State cannot be part of any political party nor civic initiatives (as ABV was announced). Participants in the forum contradict themselves – some say it is normal for Parvanov to lead them; others explain he has nothing to do with the initiative, and has been present only as a guest," the GERB member pointed out, adding Members of the Parliament from BSP and the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) were missing from plenary hall Thursday probably because they attended the forum as well.

In an unusual move, Lyuben Kornezov, a key Socialist MP, ex constitutional judge, and Chair of the Committee which prepared Bulgaria's last Constitution, warned Parvanov he is threatening himself with impeachment by showing commitment to ABV.

Currently ABV is not yet registered as a civic organization, which will hinder the MPs' impeachment attempt over the lack of formal grounds to launch such procedure.

A year ago, the Parliament failed to collect the 161 votes needed to impeach Parvanov after a scandal between him and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov.

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