Bulgaria's GERB to Hold New Gov't Talks with Four Parties

Center-right party GERB is to hold another round of negotiations with four parliamentary parties this week, its leader Boyko Borisov said.

Borisov announced after a Monday meeting of the leadership, mayors, municipal councilors, MEPs and MP-elects from GERB the right-wing coalition Reformist Bloc would be the first political entity conservatives will meet for talks.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), which earlier vowed to remain in opposition, is also among the four to hold talks with GERB.

The two remaining parties are the Patriotic Front, a nationalist coalition with which GERB agreed on joint participation in the next cabinet, and left-wing Alternative for Bulgarian Revival (ABV), with which conservatives found common ground on Sunday.

Borisov also told the Bulgarian National Television a coalition involving only the Reformists should be considered "a last resort" to avoid new early elections.

GERB's leader called RB "the only indisputable partner" of his party, reminding there was a 90-percent overlap between the two entities' electoral programs.

He ruled out any further talks with liberal Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), dominated by ethnic Turks, ex-journalist Nikolay Barekov's Bulgaria without Censorship and ultra-nationalist Ataka.

In his view, there are prospects to form a government just within a week after President Plevneliev hands the mandate to GERB following the first Parliament session on October 27.

The second round of consultations should be carried out by then, Borisov believes.