Bulgarian President to Hand Interim Govt Mandate to Ethnic Turkish Party

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is expected to give an interim government mandate to the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms party on Tuesday.

Plevneliev had initially announced that he would do the above on March 1. However, his press office distributed the change of schedule last week without an explanation for the reasons behind it.

Since the Movement for Rights and Freedoms is expected to reject Plevneliev's government mandate, the President will have to form a caretaker Cabinet.

The caretaker government's term will be up to two months, with its main task being the organization of snap elections.

Last week, Plevneliev announced that the snap elections will be held on May 12.

On February 21, Bulgaria's Parliament approved the resignation of the government of the Prime Minister and his ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, amidst unprecedented since 1997 protest rallies against unbearable utility bills, monopolies and wide-spread poverty that turned into a civil unrest against the political model of ruling the country.