Rift Reported between Bulgaria's GERB Strongest Men

Former Bulgarian PM and leader of GERB party, Boyko Borisov, photo by BGNES

Tensions have emerged among the two most prominent figures in the formerly-ruling, now opposition center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB.

The Bulgarian Pressa (Press) daily reported Sunday that there has been a sharp cooling in the relations between former Prime Minister and GERB leader, Boyko Borisov, and his Deputy, former Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The rift has been causes by the issue with the boycott of the Parliament.

After the inaugural session of the country's 42nd General Assembly on May 21, Borisov declared the party would boycott parliament sittings by non-attendance and refusal to register for voting until the Parliament was ready to discuss Election Code amendments and new early elections were scheduled.

However, GERB recently announced their MPs will be returning to work in the Parliament when lawmakers resume their sessions on September 4, after the end of the summer break.

Key GERB MP and ex Speaker of the Parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva, reported at the beginning of last week that the party's leadership has reached a political decision to return to plenary hall and participate in the work of all parliamentary committees.

She added GERB will also appoint their representatives in those committees that have vacancies due to the party's earlier boycott.

Tsvetanov announced on Friday that Tsacheva will become Deputy Speaker of the country's Parliament and GERB was now also seeking to obtain key seats in Parliament committees.

On the same day, GERB made a U-turn and surprisingly issued an official statement that the party will not nominate a vice-speaker of Parliament and MPs to chair parliamentary committees.

According to the official release, GERB will nominate members of parliamentary committees, but will not take part in leadership bodies of Parliament.

Pressa writes Sunday that Borisov had made the decision unilaterally. The order had surprised unpleasantly many of GERB's lawmakers as they were hoping to obtain more senior posts leading to higher pay.

According to the publication, this has been a public showoff on Borisov's part to demonstrate that Tsvetanov was no longer a decision maker for GERB and is not going to announce news regarding the party.

The "silent war" between the two has led to a rift in the party, with half supporting Borisov and the other half backing Tsvetanov, Pressa writes.

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