Bulgaria PM Dismisses Ultimatum, Patriots to Withdraw Support

The Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will not demand the resignation of Deputy Defence Minister Orhan Ismailov, despite the ultimatum declared by the Patriotic Front (PF) for withdrawing their support for the coalition government.

In an interview for daily Presa, Borisov said that he is not going to succumb to the pressure of the Patriots and will not allow anyone to threaten the ethnic peace in the country.

The Prime Minister stated that the only thing worse than the lack of government was the presence of an ethnic conflict in the country.

The Deputy Prime Minister in charge of coalition policy Rumyana Bachvarova is to announce Borisov's position to the leadership of the PF.

It became clear yesterday that the scheduled meeting between Defence Minister Nikolai Nenchev and co-chairman of the PF Valeri Simeonov was postponed due to Simeonov's other commitments.

At the meeting Simeonov was to present to the Defence Minister the motives behind the demand for Ismailov's resignation.

Last week, the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB), one of the parties constituting the PF, protested the appointment of Orhan Ismailov to the position of Deputy Minister of Defence.

NFSB accused Ismailov of his affiliation with the pro-Turkish Freedom and Dignity's People Party (NPSD), one of the parties constituting the Reformist Bloc (RB).

NFSB demanded the resignation of Ismailov, otherwise threatening to withdraw their support for the coalition government of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) and the RB.

However both representatives of the RB and the Defence Minister himself expressed their support for Ismailov, claiming that he should be judged solely on his professional merits, accusing NFSB of xenophobia.

The co-chairmen of the PF Valeri Simeonov and Krasimir Karakachanov were not content with Borisov's decision, having expected an official statement from the Prime Minister himself or one of his representative.

Simeonov assured that his personal position remained unchanged, namely withdrawal of support for the government and the governance programme.

In case the Patriots withdraw their support, Borisov will remain with the backing of 118 members of parliament (84 from GERB, 23 from the RB, and 11 from the Alternative for Bulgarian Revival).

In such scenario the government will rely on floating majority and thematic coalitions, its first serious test being the vote on the 2015 budget.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary group of the Bulgarian Democratic Centre, numbering 14 members of parliament, announced its readiness to support the coalition government.

Their only wish was for some of their priorities to be included in the governance programme.

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