Bulgarian MPs Dissolve Controversial Ad Hoc Inquiry Commitee

Bulgarian MPs dissolved on Wednesday the controversial ad hoc committee of inquiry on all facts and circumstances related to the alleged interference of Russia and Turkey in Bulgaria's internal affairs.

Its dissolution comes merely a month after its establishment as Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has expressed his criticism to the committee, saying that nothing good will come out of it.

The dissolution was approved by 122 MPs voting in favour, four were against, while seven lawmakers abstained.

The committee was established after information emerged that Turkey had imposed entrance bans on the honorary chairperson of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), Ahmed Dogan, and DPS MP Delyan Peevski.

The establishment of the committee was also harshly criticised by Russia and Turkey.

Also on Wednesday, the parliament voted in favour of the closure of the National Company Strategic Infrastructure Projects.

MPs did this by approving at first reading amendments to the Roads Act tabled by the largest ruling party GERB.

The company was established in 2011 with the idea being that it will take care of the construction of the motorways, allowing the Road Infrastructure Agency (API) to focus on the remaining roads.

Now, however, the division has come to be seen as unfounded, with the company costing BGN 1.4 M annually.

The chairperson of API, Lazar Lazarov, assured MPs that the agency has the capacity to deal with the projected motorways.

Lazarov noted that the agency has established expertise in the field, as it has been dealing with the preparation and realisation of large infrastructure projects for more than six years.

He added that API was the only beneficient to have achieved 100 % absorption rate of the funds under the transport operational programme in the previous programme period.

Lazarov made it clear that there will be no lay-offs, with the activities of the company to be merged into the agency.

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