BULGARIA’S PARLIAMENT CANCELLED DECISION TO RECESS BEFORE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

On 18th of October, the Bulgarian Parliament cancelled its decision to go into recess in the period from 12th of October to 4th of November but decided not to convene between 2nd and 4th of November, before the presidential elections.

The proposal to reverse the decision was made by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). 177 MPs voted for, no voted against and 10 abstained. The temporary suspension of work between 2nd and 4th of November was proposed immediately afterwards by Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the chair of the parliamentary group of the main ruling party GERB. The idea had been suggested by GERB much earlier. During those three days, the MPs will not be allowed to use cars of the National Assembly, except on days when parliamentary committees meet.

BSP objected by saying that the proposal for the 2nd to 4th of November suspension was not on Tuesday's parliamentary agenda. Atanas Atanassov from the centre-right Reformist Bloc, a partner in the ruling coalition, accused Parliament’s acting speaker Dimiter Glavchev (GERB) of breaking the parliamentary rules of procedure and said that GERB's proposal should have been added to the agenda. Chetin Kazak from MRF pointed out that the proposal was not put to debate.

Dimiter Glavchev then asked the MPs to vote and revoke the decision about the 2nd to 4th of November suspension, as requested by Georgi Bozhinov from BSP, but the majority did not adopt the motion.

Thus, the MPs will resume regular sittings as of 19th of October, Wednesday.