Bulgaria's Borisov Ready to Be in Opposition
Elections 2013 | May 10, 2013, Friday // 11:48| viewsFormer Bulgarian PM and GERB party leader, Boyko Borisov, photo by BGNES
Bulgaria's former Prime Minister and leader of the formerly-ruling center-right GERB party, Boyko Borisov, declared just two days ahead of the key general elections in the country that he was ready to be in opposition.
"I will be a Member of the Parliament. It is that simple. I wanted to lead the country before as I had clear goals, but after four years in these excruciating times, forming a government would be suicidal for any political party. I would still assume such responsibility, but would also hail anyone else who dares to do it. I wish success to all parties and I will support them in the Parliament," Borisov stressed.
He noted that in polls Bulgarians still preferred him the most as the country's next PM, while the Socialist nomination for the post, former Finance Minister, Plamen Oresharski, was second.
When asked what would be an acceptable Coalition for the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, Borisov replied: "With those voters want us to unite with, which we will learn after they cast the ballots on May 12." He noted that possible coalition partners would include right-wing and centrist parties, but declined giving any names.
"If this does not happen, then the mandate will go to some other parties. I would settle on a Coalition happily, but only on condition there is agreement on key issues such as strict fiscal discipline, farming, etc.," said the former PM.
Borisov stressed that after him, the most prepared person to be PM was the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, Sergey Stanishev, as he already had four years of experience at the post.
On the issue of the Bulgarian Watergate scandal, he said he and others around him fell prey to a huge manipulation and generally dismissed the topic with the words he would not comment on "illegal stuff."
"I do not want to comment on something I never listened to, never read and will never listen to and read. I can only assure you that no one from GERB had done anything to obstruct justice. A large group of business people and political parties have united against us in order to discredit us," said Borisov.
He reiterated on several occasions he was "done" with the issue of the wiretap scandal, even going as far as giving as example the US government, which had adopted the position to not comment on documents published by WikiLeaks.
"Why would I ask Kokinov to visit my home? Kokinov's wife is very ill, and I have helped him with her cure," the former PM stated, but declined shading light if the former Prosecutor has committed a serious breach by handing to him results from the probe in unauthorized wiretapping before they have been officially made public.
Regarding the most recent leak, where Borisov is heart talking about distribution of "political parties' quotas" in municipal companies and securing winning bids in public tenders for firms close to those in power, the former PM said it was made at a seminar for young politicians and he was explaining to them the scams of the Cabinet of the Three-Way Coalition. He added the recording has been manipulated and taken out of context.
When asked if Naydenov's claims that former Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, has been the mastermind of mass unauthorized spying on politicians, business people, and journalists, were true Borisov said: "GERB does not abide to the omerta rule of the mafia which is typical for BSP. In GERB everyone can speak freely."
"I never even dreamed we could have such speedy prosecution," he said with sarcasm in commenting on the probe in the wiretap scandal.
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