Nationalist Leader Threatens to Destroy Bulgaria's Parliamentary Majority

There is a very strong possibility that the Bulgarian far-right Ataka (Attack) party, the ruling centrist right GERB's only ally, may vote against it, should a no-confidence vote be called.

This was stated by Ataka's leader Volen Siderov Wednesday. He called his allies "vile" and threatened them his party would support every "well-grounded" no confidence vote against them.

Siderov's outburst was triggered by the Parliament's refusal to appoint him as Chair of the Parliamentary Anti-Corruption Committee.

"What do you think?" was the enraged nationalist's answer whether his statements meant Ataka's support for GERB's minority government was over. He declared that the ruling party acted unfairly, pointing out his party's "gentlemanly" support for it.

Siderov's bid received a mere 9 votes in favor, while 93 voted against and 43 abstained. GERB MPs explained that Siderov is not allowed by the Parliament's rules to participate in two Committees simultaneously.

The vote was provoked by Ataka's suggestion to remove the current chair of the commission, Valentin Nikolov, who left the parliamentary group of Ataka several days ago, together with Ognyan Peychev and Kiril Gumnerov.

The position of chair of the Anti-corruption Committee has been given to Ataka following an aggreement among political groups at the start of the Parliament's mandate in July 2009 – but since Nikolov is an independent MP now and can no longer represent the party.

Nikolov, Peichev and Gumnerov left Ataka's parliamentary group after the accident in front of the Banya Bashi mosque in downtown Sofia on May 20, in which activists of the party assaulted praying Muslims during a rally protesting the mosque's use of loudspeakers. Upon leaving, they said it had been "the last straw".

The renegades also claimed they possess documents proving their former fellow  party members' wrongdoings.

The documents, reportedly prove that MPs from the nationalist party have been forced to sign promissory notes turning them into guarantors of loans taken by offshore companies.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's GERB has 117 of a total of 240 seats in Bulgaria's unicameral parliament and has so far ruled with the support of 20 deputies from Ataka, which now has 17 MPs left.

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