President and ruling party at loggerheads over the date of upcoming parliamentary elections

The President and government have been at loggerheads over the date of the upcoming parliamentary elections. The head of state said that he needed guarantees for people's health when they go to the ballot boxes and in the commissions before issuing the decree for the arrangements on the elections. GERB did not agree with the arguments.

By the end of January, the head of state will sign the decree with the specific date for holding parliamentary elections, President Rumen Radev said after he took part in the traditional Epiphany Blessing ceremony in the capital Sofia on January 6. The ruling power accused him of trying to postpone the vote through consultations. He replied that the government was organizing the elections, but so far has not received a guarantee for the safe conduct of the election process in the conditions of epidemic.

According to Parliament Speaker Tsveta Karayancheva, the President was late with the consultations, which were scheduled to take place in December.

"The debate had to take place long before the President announced the date for the elections, which is March 28 and these consultations that the President is currently holding are like putting a hood after the rain, maybe startled by comments by the public and looking for a reason, in order to be able to postpone them, that is why he is meeting with the health authorities," Karayancheva commented.

The head of state did not agree.

"On the contrary, now is the time for consultations and you remember that for half a year thousands of Bulgarians protested for transparent and fair elections. The prime minister was hiding and procrastinating so that he could organize the elections, now he says that someone else wanted to postpone them. "This is shamelessness," Rumen Radev said.

The purpose of the consultations for the elections is not the date, but the way the vote will be conducted

The head of state explained why he was holding consultations instead of issuing a decree with a date for the parliamentary elections, in response to yesterday's criticism of the prime minister that he was trying to postpone the vote.

Unlike the prime minister, it is important to me how the health and the constitutional right to vote of Bulgarians will be guaranteed. For me, the effectiveness of the election campaign is important, to motivate people to vote." said Radev.

At the first government meeting for this year, the prime minister recalled that Rumen Radev had already announced a date for the vote.

"Henceforth, March 28 has been set as the date for the parliamentary elections, and it is assumed that once it is said, it should be defended by those who said - respectively President Radev, this date," Borissov commented.

According to Radev, however, before signing the decree, it is important to have guarantees for the safety of people’s health during the vote.

"I set, I pointed the earliest possible date to mobilize the institutions, but so far I see only promises. I do not see specific results, I do not see legal, organizational and logistical readiness for these elections," Radev added.

According to Krassimir Karakachanov, co-chairman of the United Patriots and leader of IMRO (a minority partner in the ruling coalition), the most important thing is to ensure the safety of the election process.

"The first thing that needs to be done is to ensure the members of the polling stations commissions. First, the vaccination of these people must be ensured, then it is reasonable to consider that by the date of the elections a large part of the Bulgarian citizens should be vaccinated," said Krassimir Karakachanov.

The head of state said that by the end of the week he would hold consultations with the National Association of Municipalities, with organizations of Bulgarians abroad, with the Central Election Commission and non-parliamentary parties, and next week will continue with parliamentary political forces.

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