Ataka's Volen Siderov Leaves Consultations at Bulgarian Presidency

Ultra-nationalist Ataka party's Chairman Volen Siderov walked out of the Presidency less than 30 minutes after consultations of President Plevneliev with political parties had begun.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is meeting on Wednesday all parties and coalitions entering the new Parliament after the October 5 early elections. They are discussing the date for Plevneliev to convene the National Assembly.

Consultations are being held behind closed doors, but Siderov told journalists as he was leaving the Presidency that he demanded that media representatives should be allowed in.

He then decided to boycott the rest of the meeting over suspicions of "some kind of new backdoor games" in preparation, the website Dnevnik.bg quotes him as saying.

Siderov urged more transparency in the talks of Plevneliev with political leaders and insisted journalist should also be granted access to consultations between center-right GERB and other political parties that have been held in the National Assembly since Monday.

Members of other parties entering the Presidency building said the National Assembly should begin work as soon as possible.

Sources from the Presidency reported last week that October 22 or 29 are most likely to be picked for the first Parliament session. In Siderov's words, however, October 27 is also being discussed.

Eight parties made it into Parliament on October 5, an unprecedented number in Bulgaria's recent history.

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