BULGARIA’S PRESIDENT OFFERED A MANDATE TO GERB – THE LEADER BOYKO BORISOV RETURNED IT

At 3.00 p. оn 24th of July, a few hours after Bulgaria’s Parliament accepted the Government’s resignation, President Rosen Plevneliev held consultations with the leaders and representatives of the four political parties represented in Parliament.

Following the consultations, it transpired that all parliamentary parties agreed that they all would turn down the offered mandate to form a government within the current 42nd National Assembly, which means that early general elections will be held on 5th of October.

In line with the Constitution, the President first offered the mandate to form a government to the parliamentary political party, which holds the largest number of seats in the National Assembly, the centre right GERB. The leader of GERB, Boyko Borisov returned the mandate to the President, which means he will not form a government within the 42nd National Assembly.

On 25th of July, the President will offer the mandate to the second largest parliamentary group, the centre left 'Coalition for Bulgaria'. If 'Coalition for Bulgaria' returns the mandate, in the following days the President will offer it to the ‘Movement for Rights and Freedom’.

On the 6th of August the President will issue decrees to dissolve the 42nd National Assembly, will appoint the interim government and will issue a decree to schedule the early parliamentary elections. The President said that during the meeting with the representatives of the parties, it was discussed that prior to the dissolution of the Parliament, some important laws for the country needed to be passed and the most important among them was about the state budget update and the update of the budget of the National Health Insurance Fund.