Bulgaria's 3rd Biggest Party, DPS, Rejects Mandate to Form Govt

Lyutvi Mestan, leader of liberal party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), has rejected the mandate to form a government.

DPS, the third biggest political party, declined the invitation of President Rosen Plevneliev on Wednesday.

DPS's rejection was declared after center-right party GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) gave up the proposal to form a government.

The next step, as outlined in Bulgaria's Constitution, is to dissolve the 42nd National Assembly and to appoint a caretaker government and start preparations for early elections.

Plevneliev, as cited by Dnevnik daily, declared that he would present the caretaker government at 11 am on August 5.

He explained that he would issue a decree for the dissolution of Parliament on August 6, thereby allowing the caretaker government to take office.

The early elections are to take place on October 5, as agreed during the consultations between representatives of the political parties and the President.