Bulgarian Cabinet to Resubmit Anti-Corruption Bill in Three Months - PM Borisov

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov assured on Thursday that the anti-corruption bill, which was rejected by parliament at first reading, will be resubmitted in three months.

The parties supporting the coalition government will be convinced to vote in favour of the bill and some corrections will be introduced to it, daily Dnevnik reports Borisov as saying.

The two parties supporting the ruling coalition - the Patriotic Front (PF) and Alternative for Bulgarian Revival (ABV) abstained during the vote on the anti-corruption bill earlier on Thursday.

The bill aimed at preventing corruption among high level public officials is part of the government's anti-corruption strategy, which was adopted in the spring.

It foresees the establishment of a new anti-corruption body, which unites the Center for Prevention and Countering Corruption and Organized Crime (BORKOR) to the Council of Ministers, the Commission for Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest and departments of the National Audit Office.

Following the rejection of the bill, the junior coalition partner - the Reformist Bloc (RB) hinted of rethinking its participation in the government.

Borisov was content with the will demonstrated by GERB and RB to fight corruption, whose MPs voted in favour of the bill.

However the two parties underestimated the centrifugal forces in parliament and failed to garner parliamentary majority for the bill.

The prime minister agreed that some of the texts of the bill could be amended in order to be strengthened and accepted some of the critiques as being well-founded.

According to the legislation, a bill rejected at first reading can be resubmitted to parliament at least three months after the rejection and following...