Boyko Borisov

Right-wing Reformist Bloc coalition has said it will hand back the mandate to the Bulgarian President next week, without trying to form a new government.

Later staements from members of the bloc, however, have cast a shadow of doubt on whether this position will change.

Bulgarian President-elect Rumen Radev will not have any role in forming an interim government together with incumbent Rosen Plevneliev, the socialists' leader has said.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has handed back the mandate to form a new government and lead the country out of the current Parliamentary crisis.

"I will not use the opportunity [to form a cabinet," Ninova has said before handing out a statement to Plevneliev to confirm the decision.

Ninova is accompanied by two core BSP members, Angel Naydenov and Zhelyo Boychev.

Right-wing Reformist Bloc (RB) coalition will only make offers on a next cabinet in case the President gives them a mandate to form it, RB officials have said.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said his conservative GERB party will not participate in any cabinet made after the early election unless it emerges it gets the biggest share of the vote.

President Rosen Plevneliev and outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borisov have pondered an option to keep the current government in office until the new head of state takes over in January, daily 24 Chasa says, citing its own sources.

The scenario has been tabled after Borisov's final decision to return the mandate to Plevneliev on Friday.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has said he has a strong preference for giving the Reformist Bloc coalition a mandate to form a government.

Plevneliev, in an interview with the public broadcaster's Panorama, has put an end to speculation that he intends on giving the nationalist Patriotic Front coalition a chance to form a government later in December.

Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has returned the mandate to form a government on Friday after receiving it from President Rosen Plevneliev.

Borisov has only kept the mandate for less than a minute.

He has made clear his party, GERB, which is the biggest in Parliament, will not seek a new cabinet within the current legislature.

President Rossen Plevneliev will hand the first probe mandate for the forming of a government to the largest parliamentary group - GERB. The procedure for handing mandates will start on Friday.

This became clear after the meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security which was convened by Plevneliev.

There is still hope to create a new government within the current legislature, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has said.