MPs fail to elect Speaker of Parliament on second attempt, sitting to resume on Friday

The first sitting of the 51st Parliament will resume on Friday at 11.00.

Today, November 13, the MPs failed to elect a Speaker of the legislature.

The sitting was dissolved after the presiding oldest MP Silvi Kirilov (of There is Such a People) announced a 30-minute break and consultations with the political forces.

After the unsuccessful election, Silvi Kirilov suspended the sitting and said that it would resume at 11 am on Friday.

In the second attempt to elect the Speaker of the Parliament, Raya Nazaryan and Andrei Tsekov again went to a run-off.

The initial nominations for the post - of Raya Nazaryan from GERB-UDF, Andrei Tsekov from "We Continue the Change" - "Democratic Bulgaria", Petar Petrov from "Vazrazhdane", Natalia Kiselova from "BSP - United Left" and Nikoleta Kuzmanova from "There is Such a People", remained unchanged.

Today, as on Monday, there was a run-off between the candidates of GERB-UDF and WCC-DB - Raya Nazaryan and Andrei Tsekov. But both nominations did not receive the required number of votes.

In the second round of voting on November 13, Nazarayan (GERB-UDF) was supported by 69 MPs, 128 voted against and 40 abstained.

Andrei Tsekov (We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria) was backed by 66 MPs, 141 were against and 31 abstained.

At the opening of the Parliament on Monday the MPs failed to reach an agreement and to elect a Speaker.