President Iliyana Yotova began the second phase of consultations on the election of an acting Prime Minister - with the parliamentary parties represented.
First, at 11 a.m. on "Dondukov 2", representatives of the GERB-SDF parliamentary group arrived. It was represented by the deputy chairmen of the PG Raya Nazaryan, Kostadin Angelov and Denitsa Sacheva, listed "Nova TV".
The head of state was categorical that the consultations were not a formality. "We have difficult times ahead of us in the coming months, but we have a common goal - transparent and fair elections, good preparation for them, as well as a working state. As well as before the formation of the caretaker cabinet, so during its work. It is a great responsibility to meet the expectations of the citizens who came out to protest. I hope for constructive work in the future. The president can choose between only 10 people for caretaker prime minister, unfortunately half of them refused, driven by various considerations", said Iliyana Yotova.
I will assign a mandate to one of them, but your assessment of the most urgent issues in the coming months is very important. It will help me decide which of those who agreed will be the most suitable.
The co-chair of the GERB-SDF PG Denitsa Sacheva pointed out that Yotova has shown that she is a strong supporter of parliamentary democracy. "You are in a difficult situation, you did not have much freedom to express everything you want to see - because of the changes in the Constitution. Our PG will not give you advice on what to do and what to choose. The impartiality of your choice is very important for everyone. We will refrain from making assessments about the possible caretaker prime minister. Hypothetically, there is another option before you - if you think that among the deputies there is a possible candidate for caretaker prime minister. We could support a new election of the Speaker of the National Assembly, who would constitutionally fulfill the role of Prime Minister, in order to expand the list of potential persons from the "house book", she commented.
Before the president, there are five options of persons from the so-called "house book", who expressed their agreement in principle to take the post. These are the Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank Andrey Gyurov, the Deputy Ombudsman Maria Filipova, the Chairman of the Audit Board Dimitar Glavchev and his two deputies - Margarita Nikolova and Silvia Kadreva. After consultations with the parties, the head of state's decision on which of them will be given the opportunity to form a caretaker cabinet will become clear.
Yotova replied that the election of a new Speaker of the National Assembly is in the hands of the MPs and thanked them for the proposal. She assured that she would share this idea with the other PGs, but expressed doubt that there was time for this. "We have no intention of stretching the early elections in time," she said.
According to Sacheva, the outgoing government is working with a very limited mandate. "I assume that the caretaker government will also have a similar fate and will not be able to fully meet expectations", she noted.
A little later, at 1:30 p.m., representatives from the PP-DB will also arrive at the presidential institution for consultations. The date for the early parliamentary elections also depends on the signing of the decree appointing the caretaker government, and they must be held within two months of the start of the interim government.