New Bulgarian Parliament Convenes, Elects Speaker

11/07/2005

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov called for dialogue and consensus as the country's new parliament held its first session. Georgi Pirinski of the Bulgarian Socialist Party was elected speaker.

(bta, Sofia News Agency, Focus News Agency, Mediapool, Dnevnik - 11/07/05; Reuters - 10/07/05)

The new Bulgarian Parliament convened on Monday (11 July). [File]

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov urged the country's new parliament Monday (11 July) to accomplish the tasks related to Bulgaria's EU entry goal through dialogue and consensus. He also called on leaders of the parties represented in the 240-seat legislature to be ready for compromise.

"I believe that this parliament will not be held hostage to political battles," the president said, minutes after lawmakers were sworn in.

Parvanov also urged the members of parliament (MPs) to immediately start work on requirements the country must meet to join the EU in January 2007. Given the short time until the European Commission's report on Bulgaria's accession progress, due to be released this autumn, parliament must speed up the process of adopting EU-required legislation, including judiciary and public administration reforms, the president warned.

He also pledged to hand out the mandate for forming the new government within the next three days, after consultations with all seven parliamentary parties and coalitions.

The 25 June parliamentary elections produced Bulgaria's most colourful legislature in the 15 years since the end of communism, with seven parties and coalitions from the entire political spectre surpassing the 4 per cent threshold for entry, but none securing a majority to govern on its own.

The three parties with the largest representation are the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), with 82 seats, the National Movement for Simeon II (NMSII), with 53 seats, and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), with 34 seats.

Addressing MPs Monday, BSP leader Sergey Stanishev, whose party is expected to receive the mandate for forming the next government, urged other parties to join a BSP-led coalition cabinet to lead the country into the EU.

"The first and immediate goal of the government must be EU membership," the Socialist leader told lawmakers. "The danger to have Bulgaria's membership delayed by one year is real," he added, apparently referring to the safeguard clause in the accession treaty with the EU.

"By their vote the people obliged us to talk to each other and look for an agreement," Stanishev added.

The BSP has been holding consultations on a government coalition with the NMSII and MRF. The three parties agreed in principle Sunday on a governing platform, but the NMSII has not yet decided whether it will enter the coalition. The MRF, mainly representing the ethnic Turkish minority, has made clear its readiness to team up with the Socialists.

Meanwhile, in line with the constitution, lawmakers elected BSP deputy chairman Georgi Pirinski as the new parliamentary speaker, by a vote of 169-50. He served as foreign minister from 1995 to 1997, in the last Socialist government. MPs also elected the seven deputy speakers, representing each of the parties in parliament.