We continue the change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) called on GERB-UDF to sit at the negotiating table and to use the 7-day period after the handing of the mandate under the Constitution to reach a consensus, BGNES reported.
GERB-UDF asked for additional ministries and we are ready to give them. Prime Minister and Foreign Ministry should be Maria Gabriel - we agree. The ministries of Interior, Innovation and Growth, Ecology, Education, Culture - we are ready to give them to GERB. This is a step forward. For us, the most important thing is not the ministers, but the reforms in the judiciary, in the services, in the regulators. These 3 things are in the agreement.
This is what WCC-DB co-chairman Kiril Petkov said at a briefing late Sunday night in response to the earlier GERB-UDF press conference.
Outgoing Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov and the alliance's co-chairs gave their response to GERB negotiators, who gave them a few more hours' reprieve to reconsider their positions in sharing responsibility in the future rotating government.
"Tomorrow Maria Gabriel could take the mandate, nothing suggests that anything could blow up. I urge Borissov and Gabriel to continue governing and not to plunge the country into crisis and another election", Kiril Petkov said.
"Together with GERB-UDF we worked out a detailed document. I do not understand why the signing of such an agreement is now being questioned", Hristo Ivanov said at the beginning of the briefing.
"Even if we look at the turbulent experience of the Bulgarian kingdom, there has never been such a political crisis as there has been in the last two years", Ivanov recalled. He stressed that the regulators, the fight against corruption and security are at the basis of the draft agreement on which they are working with GERB-UDF in the last days.
"I don't understand why the signing should be questioned and with what arguments this is happening, Ivanov said and stressed: we have passed 3 negotiation stages, the document is in a very high degree of completion. Today we could stand and work, there was no reason to give up and give a press conference", he added.
"Everything will remain on paper if there are no independent people in the regulators", Asen Vasilev added.
"I call on Boyko Borisov to intervene because he makes the final decisions. We have a draft agreement and personnel for the government", Atanas Atanasov said.
Earlier outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel said:
"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."
"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", the chief negotiator and head of GERB's negotiating team 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. /BGNES