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If by 12.00 on Monday the WCC-DB are willing to share power, then we can talk. If not, we return the mandate and there will be no government with that mandate.
This was announced at a briefing late this evening by the GERB-UDF negotiating team, headed by Deputy Prime Minister and outgoing Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel, BGNES reported.
The briefing took place literally a few hours before the president handed a mandate to form a government to Maria Gabriel.
"Disputes about regulators, judicial reform, fight against corruption - we have none. We have fundamental differences on GERB being a full partner. For us, the dispute is about the fact that the first political party with the most MPs should be equal in government. We have proposed the composition of the government. Even today, seeing that there are still differences, we proposed that the composition of the current government be voted on with only a change of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. This was categorically rejected. That is why at this stage we remain firm in our line for the governance of the country", said Maria Gabriel, the chief negotiator and head of GERB's negotiating team.
"After so many days of talks and negotiations, I don't think we need more. There is no option to wait another 7 days. The logical action tomorrow is to return the paper to the president. That is why at this stage we remain firm in our line for the governance of the country", she added, stressing repeatedly that stability is a guiding principle for them.
"Already after the first round of negotiations it became clear that GERB-UDF and WCC-DB have common principles, but they also have differences. Bulgaria needs stability", Gabriel further added, taking into account the personal negatives for her professional path that she has endured and is yet to bear.
We have been negotiating for 8 days and we have clearly put on the table that we want a level playing field. GERB-UDF will not be a rubber stamp of reforms, Denitsa Sacheva emphasized.
She was adamant that their colleagues from WCC-DB are not ready to share power.
"All the reforms so far have been a fact only thanks to GERB-SDP. Everything this government is proud of is because of us. If they are not ready to share this responsibility, they should find other partners", Sacheva said, addressing the WCC-DB.
"For us it is an extraordinary compromise to say that Assen Vassilev can stay in the cabinet and at the same time to get an agreement that there will be no bright political faces in the cabinet", she added.
"WCC-DB should understand that they cannot test GERB. This cannot happen, we have ruled the country three times", said Temenuzhka Petkova.
"If there is no change in what we have said, that the composition of the government is as important as the priorities for the country and the reforms - yes, I will return an empty mandate", Maria Gabriel concluded. /BGNES
