Bulgaria’s Parliament Faces Tenth Attempt to Elect National Assembly Chair
Bulgaria’s MPs are set to make a tenth attempt to elect the Chair of the 51st National Assembly on Thursday, following a series of failed votes that have left the leadership position vacant, CE Report quotes BTA
On Tuesday, Silvi Kirilov, the nominee from There Is Such a People (TISP), and Natalia Kiselova, supported by BSP-United Left, advanced to a runoff. Kirilov, who is presiding over the first parliamentary session as the oldest MP, was put forward by TISP as a compromise candidate after earlier attempts failed.
The deadlock persisted despite last week’s efforts, when the leading political coalition GERB-UDF withdrew their nominee, Raya Nazaryan, and backed Kiselova in an attempt to break the impasse. GERB leader Boyko Borissov justified the move as a gesture of gratitude to the left for their support in electing Vezhdi Rashidov as Chair of the 48th National Assembly. Borissov also rejected supporting the nominee of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), Atanas Atanasov, citing the lack of discussions about forming a regular government.
Wednesday’s vote featured four candidates: Kiselova, Kirilov, Atanasov, and Petar Petrov from Vazrazhdane. However, MPs were again unable to reach a consensus.
After the ninth failed attempt, Stanislav Balabanov of TISP criticized Democratic Bulgaria, accusing them of stalling the parliament's opening, delaying the legislative agenda, and obstructing the election of Borislav Sarafov as prosecutor general.
As political divisions deepen, Thursday’s session will test whether the fractured assembly can finally elect a Chair and move forward with its legislative work.
