Bulgaria’s ABV party holds press conference

 Alternative for Bulgarian Revival (ABV) party held a press conference on Tuesday. The event took place at ABV’s office in the capital city Sofia.
The topic of the press conference was Election Code. The Forthcoming Presidential Debate Organised by the ABV “The President – Guarantor or a Risk to National Security”.
The participants in the event also discussed central political issues.
“A “Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB) plus” coalition will not be working from now on,” said Georgi Parvanov, ABV leader and former Bulgarian president (2002 - 2012), speaking at the press conference.
“We discussed the forthcoming debate in the frames of the Council on Development of the coalition connected with the nature of relations, with the coalition’s work in a legislative aspect and in wider dimensions,” Parvanov remarked.
“I have to stress the fact we witnessed the Prime Minister revised a number of time decisions made following unknown mechanisms,” the ABV leader noted, explaining he meant public procurements and the Commission for Protection of Competition.
“The mechanism was put into action, after which there was some annulment. Now it is the Black Sea Coast Act and the right to go camping, the second aerial lift in Bansko was discussed before that, we hear now the issue of compulsory voting has been raised again. The coalition cannot continue working thus anymore,” Parvanov was explicit.
“We were among the co-authors [of the idea] and proposed this format is “2 plus 2” as we wanted parties such as the ABV to have a little distance from the government and did not object to taking part of decisions in a tighter format but things have changed,” the politician stated.
He explained this had happened not only because the Reformist Bloc had 13 MPs but also because things were changing.
“We see decisions are made by this group or some other smaller format and we learn about them from the media,” Parvanov noted.
In his view, the “CEDB plus” coalition will not be working anymore.
“Not only with respect to the atmosphere in the coalition but with respect to the efficiency of taken legislative and governing decisions. As this debate on interaction within the coalition has to take place tomorrow, besides the concrete proposals concerning each ministry, we place emphasis on another thing – we believe the cabinet’s work should be led by the great idea of decisions, strategies, and policies on the demographic crisis we have seen for years in different dimensions,” the former president commented.
Parvanov recalled the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) had proposed a sitting of the Consultative Council on National Security is convened over the matter.
In his words, this is a subject regarding which the expected good results will be seen in 20 to 30 years.
“We have our ideas and they mostly come from Deputy Prime Minister [and Minister of Labour and Social Policy] Ivaylo Kalfin,” Parvanov noted.
In his words, this is a key matter and the ABV will request a meeting with the CEDB leadership and with oppositional parties, such as the BSP, over it.
“We have the idea of organising a joint forum related to demographic policy. This could be an element of the presidential debates we hold but it is more important more parties and experts take part in it and we have a good result,” Georgi Parvanov opined.
“It is inadmissible sanctions are imposed over not voting when the state has not ensured citizens’ constitutional rights,” he went on to say, touching upon the recently adopted Election Code amendments.
Parvanov recalled the ABV had first backed the idea of compulsory voting as a temporary measure, having doubts about the constitutional nature of the idea but only the Constitutional Court could rule on that.
“It is highly important to remind it is inadmissible sanctions are imposed over not voting when the state has not ensured citizens’ constitutional rights, such as accessible healthcare. Fining Bulgarians or depriving them of social assistance is absolutely inadmissible,” Parvanov said, adding he did not know how Bulgarians abroad would be sanctioned.
“We have the idea of citizens having the right to also vote with a white ballot, this being a protest vote against the entire political class,” the ABV leader commented.
“We will back the idea of changing the preferences threshold. This was a matter we were again the first to raise. The threshold was too low and this allowed to rearrange tickets in small municipalities and ensure corporate presence in them,” he remarked.
“As regards electronic voting, we would back the format the Reformist Bloc proposes – tying with electronic identification. We would back part of the CEDB’s ideas of one multi-seat constituency for voters in foreign countries and not three [multi-seat constituencies], which was an idea of another party but we explicitly object to the idea for individuals serving light sentences to have the right to vote. I think opening the door in this direction is not sensible and will not work,” Parvanov opined.
“There are good proposals from the BSP that concern the organisation of polling station electoral commissions, observers, and protocols – these are ideas we would back, expecting to see a working Election Code,” he added.
“We want a working coalition, not minister’s seats,” Georgi Parvanov was explicit.
“We would like each party to receive what it is entitled to according to its importance for the stability and efficiency of the coalition. There is disproportion at present and this is obvious. We want a working coalition, not posts,” the politician remarked further.
“We have good politicians who could be also good ministers but this will be the case after future parliamentary elections, when our presence at parliament is greater,” Parvanov explained.
He specified he was inclined to accept the comments, analyses, and positions of some former and current constitutional judges but the Constitutional Court had to rule on compulsory voting.
“If the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) or anyone else approaches the Constitutional Court, we will probably have its ruling. I think this issue would be best solved at the forthcoming referendum initiated by the team of [showman] Slavi Trifonov. We insist on the questions being voted on without being changed irrespective of the fact we will argue over some of them,” Georgi Parvanov remarked.
He recalled he was against decreasing the number of MPs as if they were 120, this would mean the bipolar model in which the MRF would create a balance would be established and would stay for long.
Parvanov also commented on BSP lawmaker Korneliya Ninova’s desire to run for the leader’s post in the BSP.
“I find Korneliya Ninova’s candidacy to become BSP leader natural; it will probably not be the only one,” he said.
According to Parvanov, it will be interesting for them to see these developments but will not comment on such nominations so that it is not interpreted the ABV wants to get involved in this process as it does not interfere in the internal affairs of any party.
The ABV leader informed they would propose Wednesday there are clear rules on the work of the Council on Development with the Council of Ministers.
In Parvanov’s view, it should turn into a functioning body.
The ABV leader also made another announcement.
“We are working on the next debate from the cycle of presidential debates. It will be themed The President – Guarantor or a Risk to National Security,” he said.
In his words, the discussion will be held on March 20 in district centre Veliko Tarnovo.
“This debate will contribute to the very election campaign so that clarify policies before the parties have even decided to nominate their candidates,” Parvanov stated.

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