Bulgaria President-elect Refuses Incumbent's Offer on Interim Govt

Bulgarian President-elect Rumen Radev on Wednesday declined the invitation of the sitting head of state, Rosen Plevneliev, to put forward his cabinet lineup before assuming office in January.

In a statement aired by public broadcaster BNT, Radev said his proposal on an interim cabinet can only be made after he takes over on January 22.

Earlier on Wednesday, Plevneliev announced he would not be creating a new caretaker cabinet, but stood ready to sign any government lineup drafted by Radev the moment he came to the Presidency.

Radev, however, dismissed the option, saying "there was no [such] hypothesis in the Constitution."

"The pathos of good intentions cannot replace the law."

Plevneliev, having appointed two interim governments throughout his term so far, made it clear he was ready to do so for the third time, but throught it improper as that cabinet would only be in office "during Christmas holidays".

The currently serving head of state cannot call early elections on his own, even though parties failed to forge a new government out of the parliamentary majority. Radev, for his part, is entitled to change his predecessor's caretaker government or appoint a completely new one.

Radev's refusal means the cabinet in resignation, led by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, will have to stay on until January 22, when the new President will appoint his interim government.

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