Bulgaria's MECH Party Refuses to Accept Dissolution, Files Complaint Against Parliamentary Speaker

The "Morality, Unity, Honor" (MECH) party’s parliamentary group has not been disbanded, despite the announcement made earlier by the Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly, according to Radostin Vassilev. He stated that Natalia Kiselova, who had been responsible for the dissolution, unlawfully prevented two new deputies, Plamen Petkov and Ivan Ivanov, from taking the oath. Vassilev argued that Kiselova’s decision lacked legal grounds and claimed that she made the move under pressure from other political parties like BSP, TISP, and GERB.

Vassilev emphasized that the decision to dissolve the group had no legal consequences, and Kiselova should resign immediately. The MECH group intends to file a report against her with the prosecutor's office. Additionally, they declared civil disobedience if the remaining deputies did not take appropriate measures. Vassilev also clarified that the group’s parliamentary members should have been 11 after a Constitutional Court decision, and the two new members should have been sworn in, but Kiselova’s actions prevented this.

Meanwhile, the "Greatness" parliamentary group, led by Ivelin Mihaylov, expressed their solidarity with MECH. Mihaylov criticized Boyko Borissov and Delyan Peevski for allegedly using procedural tactics to dismantle the group. He claimed that the members of MECH were effectively "screwed over," and the procedural loophole was used to prevent them from registering as a parliamentary group. Mihaylov expressed sympathy for MECH, stating that, although he did not support Radostin Vassilev personally, the actions taken against them amounted to disregarding the voters' voices.

Juliana Mateeva, another member of the "Greatness" group, outlined their plans moving forward. She mentioned that they might propose changes to the rules of procedure to allow for the reformation of parliamentary groups with more than 10 MPs. If MECH chose to pursue this, they would offer support, although Mateeva was uncertain about the chances of success. She stressed the importance of continuing to highlight what she saw as a clear injustice.