Bulgaria's Main Ruling Party Downplays Early Vote after Coalition Ally Quits

Domestic | May 11, 2016, Wednesday // 08:45|  views

GERB party's Deputy Chair Tsvetan Tsvetanov. File photo, BGNES

The Deputy Chair of Bulgaria's biggest party GERB said the move of leftist ABV to quit the coalition government on Tuesday had been expected, but dismissed an early election as a viable option.

ABV announced it was also to withdraw its minister and officials appointed to executive agencies, with Deputy Prime Minister and Labor Minister Ivaylo Kalfin stepping down shortly afterwards.

Following the development, support for Boyko Borisov's minority coalition hinges on the nationalist Patriotic Front coalition, which backs the government but has no ministers, and the lawmakers with the Bulgarian Democratic Center (BDC) party, alongside three independent MPs.

In this situation, an early vote would be the easiest option for senior coalition partner GERB, but would not solve problems MPs are facing, the party's Deputy Chair Tsvetan Tsvetanov has argued.

Dnevnik.bg quotes him as saying the cabinet can remain in office "until everyone backing the the government is sincere."

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has long repeated it is his party that would benefit the most from an early vote, confident in its victory and seeking parliamentary majority, but does not want to resort to the option in the name of stability.

GERB has 84 MPs in the 240-seat Parliament, while junior coalition partner Reformist Bloc can only secure support from 13 of its MPs as part of its faction (5 lawmakers) moved into opposition in December. The Patriotic Front (PF) has 18 lawmakers who support the government, but on Tuesday threatened to stop backing it unless a presidential veto on new election rules is turned down.

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Tags: Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Boyko Borisov, BDC, GERB, Patriotic Front, ABV, electoral code

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