High tension between the power sharing partners: Posts distribution or transparent selection rules?

New skirmishes between the power sharing partners in Parliament and the first reaction of Prime Minister Denkov after yesterday's statement by Mariya Gabriel on the memorandum. He pointed out that "through reasonable arguments and a calm tone, workable solutions should be found".

Mariya Gabriel: I will not sign the governance memorandum, proposed by WCC-DB. Everything has limits

"It is normal when a political discussion on important issues is initiated to start with a head-on clash of ideas and with a lot of emotions, with a sense of impasse. It is normal after the first clash for the parties to sit at the negotiating table and find those common mechanisms and solutions that will achieve the identified common goals," Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov said at the opening of the meeting of the Council of Ministers on February 22.

On the sidelines of the Parliament, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said he was disappointed with the “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” for talking about democratic and transparent selection of the heads of the regulators, but in practice appointing their own people to them.

"I have already familiarised myself with the memorandum and it is just like “you will not watch what I do, but listen to what I say”. It says that candidates should be transparent, non-partisan, not bright, experts. We have brought the Bulgarian Commissioner, with nearly 15 years of work in Europe - an undisputed figure for a Deputy Prime Minister. They have sent a bright political figure as Prime Minister. Assen Vassilev - the leader of WCC - a bright political figure, Gvozdeikov. None of these principles has been respected. That is exactly how the Devil reads the Bible," said GERB leader Boyko Borisov.

According to Delyan Peevski of MRF, Hristo Ivanov of Democratic Bulgaria is trying to control the Prosecutor’s Office.

"Is MRF really bad? For 9 months Hristo Ivanov drank oily Turkish coffee in my office and sat in my lap until the Constitution happened and now he's telling me today in an interview with "Dnevnik" that he's going to raise the MRF topic again. Which one, which topic, Hristo, my friend? The issue is that the MRF is the most nationally responsible party and has been propping up this government for 9 months. And if we were not there, the government would not have been there. The masks have to come off, Hristo. I want you to know that, my friend. It's over, I am aware of what you are.

We refused, I personally refused the distribution of posts, he, Hristo Ivanov, offered me. Distribution, to be sure how the Supreme Prosecutor's Council will be chosen to elect his partner Andrei Yankulov from his anti-corruption fund as chief prosecutor. And for deputy chief prosecutor - Sava Petrov. I personally stand behind my words: 'Hristo Ivanov and the oligarchs behind him want to take over the Prosecutor's office'," said Delyan Peevski, chairman of the MRF PG.

The co-chairman of Democratic Bulgaria replied that MRF wanted to be a hidden partner of GERB in the distribution of power.

"If the future Supreme Prosecutorial Council chooses someone with the profile of Mr. Yankulov I think it will be very good for Bulgaria. Because if someone with the profile of Mr. Yankulov is elected there would be no “Notary” cases, there would be no “Eight Dwarfs”. There would be a real investigation.

We are talking, trying to talk to GERB about a really important topic like reforms, regulators and the fight against corruption and suddenly Mr Peevski blows himself up with another firework of tasteless vulgarities. The problem is that the MRF wants to be the hidden partner in this distribution and that they do not want to have clear rules and regulation with clear political responsibility between the two political formations that are responsible for the government. We are an ancient profession, but the profession that makes use of smear tactics is more ancient than ours and I do not practice it", clarified Hristo Ivanov - MP from WCC-DB group.

"You see what is happening today. Something that we have been telling you for nine months, that these people gathered only for posts, for money, for power and for parceling the state. They are already starting to air their dirty laundry. Absolutely abnormal and illogical assemblage from the very beginning. Hristo Ivanov, who was sitting in the boat in front of Ahmed Dogan's properties, turned out to be sitting in Delyan Peevski's lap and negotiating who will take the post of Prosecutor General," said BSP leader Kornelia Ninova.

***

On July 7, 2020, the leader of the then non-parliamentary opposition Democratic Bulgaria coalition, Hristo Ivanov, and two coalition activists tried to reach by boat the beach which is adjacent to a property with a marina and a mansion known to be used by the founder and honorary chairman of the ethnic Turkish party “Movement for Rights and Freedoms” (MRF), Ahmed Dogan, as his summer residence. They used a boat because the beach to which they were going to, a public property, cannot be reached by land by members of the public. As Ivanov and his companions stepped on the beach, bodyguards who refused to identity themselves did not allow them to go on the property and pushed them back into the water.

Ivanov said the purpose of their beach-embarcation at Rossenets park was to show that Bulgarian people are not allowed to use a piece of land, which is public state property and belongs to them and that Dogan enjoys some kind of privileges which includes violation of the law. The incidence with Hristo Ivanov was livestreamed on Facebook.

At the time of the clash with Ivanov, the bodyguards refused to identify themselves and did not say whether or not they were from the NSP. Bulgaria’s President Radev made a statement the next day confirming that they were NSP staff. He added that Ahmed Dogan and MRF MP Delyan Peevski should not be guarded by the NSP.

On Saturday, July 11. a group of party supporters of Hristo Ivanov’s “Yes Bulgaria Party” tried to reach the beach via the barred road. In turn, a very large group of MRF supporters gathered near the mansion, with a huge police presence which did not allow the Yes Bulgaria group to access in order to avoid clashed between the two groups.

After understanding that they will not be let to Rossenets, Hristo Ivanov and his supporters left and went to protest outside the Bourgas Mayor's office.They were met by the Mayor Dimitar Nikolov (GERB) who said that police made a mistake by not allowing Yes Bulgaria group to reach the beach.

Later, the Mayor Nikolov and Hristo Ivanov went back to Rossenets park. Tension escalated at the moment when those willing to get to the beach tried to go through the police cordon.

There were several clashes between protesters and the police. Some of the protesters managed to break through the police cordon, but could not reach to the MRF group. Police arrested several people, including Ivailo Mirchev, a member of the executive council of Yes Bulgaria.

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