Bulgarian Interim Gov't to Be Subject to Parliamentary Control

Caretaker Prime Minister Georgi Bliznashki and other ministers in his cabinet are to be questioned by lawmakers for the first time since assuming office on August 6.

Bliznashki and his colleagues are to cast more light on certain issues related to the government's general policies.

The PM's deputies Ekaterina Zaharieva, Iliyana Tsanova, Hristo Ivanov and Yordan Hristoskov are also due to attend.

Economy Minister Vasil Shtonov is to respond to inquiries about a deal with Germany's Klösters Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH under which the interim cabinet is to make up for EUR 4 M losses generated by the company under suspended project.

Svetlana Zhekova, the caretaker Environment Minister, is to give MPs her account of the government's decision about exploration for oil and gas within the Vranino-1 block in Dobrudzha, a region in the country's north-east.

The hearing of the two ministers was demanded by ultra-nationalist Ataka.

Lawmakers from the party have demanded that plans to explore Vranino-1 be renounced to answer to calls from civil society and to prevent any harm to protected areas.

Bulgaria is still lacking an elected government, with parties yet to finish bargaining and the biggest-party GERB expected to be handed a mandate to form the next cabinet.

The caretaker government took over from its socialist-liberal predecessor on August 6.