MPs observed a minute of silence for the 11 victims of the chain-reaction crashes on the Trakia Motorway. Eleven people died in the accidents, 51 were injured and taken to hospitals, and a total of 86 vehicles were involved in the road incidents.
“We stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of those who died,” said National Assembly Speaker Mihaela Dotsova. She offered condolences on behalf of the 52nd National Assembly and called on MPs to honour the memory of the victims with a minute of silence.
November 11 has been declared a day of national mourning. The flags at the Council of Ministers, the National Assembly, the Presidency and the Bulgarian National Bank have been lowered to half-mast.
Parliament rejects proposal for a hearing
The National Assembly did not include in its agenda a proposal by Vazrazhdane for a hearing on the causes of the chain-reaction crash on the Trakia Motorway. The proposal envisaged hearing the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov and the Chair of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency Aleksandar Todorov.
Bozhidar Bozhanov of Democratic Bulgaria said that the circumstances surrounding the crash must be clarified, but that additional information first needed to be collected. According to him, the hearing could be held next week with the signatures of all parliamentary groups.
Mihaela Dotsova said that data could be collected over the coming days that would provide a more objective picture of the causes and circumstances surrounding the accident.
MPs also discuss tax changes
Instead of the proposed hearing, MPs approved making the fifth item on the agenda the first reading of amendments to the Value Added Tax Act. The bills were submitted by Democratic Bulgaria, Vazrazhdane and the Council of Ministers.
Sources: dnes.dir.bg