Boyko Borisov

Today's plenary session has been canceled due to a lack of quorum as Bulgaria's opposition party GERB refused to register in Parliament.

A total of 95 MPs from Bulgaria's Socialist Party (BSP) and from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) have attended Thursday's session. Parliament Speaker Mihail Mikov has scheduled the next hearing for Friday.

By leaving parliament GERB sabotaged the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) budget update deputy speaker of Parliament Maya Manolova told novinite.bg.

(with abridgments)

Mrs. Manolova, how would you comment the current situation in Parliament after today's decision of GERB not to participate in the remaining sessions?

Bulgarian socialists' Parliament chief said Monday it was "likely" that liberal Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) could decide not to return a mandate to form a government.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is to hand a mandate to form a government to the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), a coalition partner in the outgoing cabinet.

The head of the BSP-led Coalition for Bulgaria parliamentary group Atanas Medrzhanov returned to President Rosen Plevneliev the mandate for formation of a government. 

“I decline to set up a government,” Merdzhanov told Plevneliev. “We are sticking to our agreements.” 

Center-right party GERB and liberal party DPS have agreed to hold an extraordinary sitting of Parliament on July 29 at 3 pm.

The proposal for the extraordinary sitting came from Yordan Tsonev from DPS (Movement for Rights and Freedoms).

Bulgaria’s parliament voted out Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski’s government on Thursday, officially terminating the scandal-ridden one-year rule of the coalition between the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, and the ethnic-Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, MRF.

The International Monetary Fund is ready to help Bulgaria, an IMF spokesman has said.

His words come as the country is seeking to safeguard the stability of its banking system.

Excessively emotional political messages by GERB party's leader Boyko Borisov could lead Bulgaria to destabilization, Finance Minister Petar Chobanov said.

In an official statement to the media he warned against "uncontrollable and incompetent" comments on "sensitive" issues such as financial security and stability of the state.

President (2002-2011) Georgi Parvanov has called for constitutional changes to introduce the presidential system in Bulgaria.

Parvanov, who has already served the maximum of two terms in office, told at the conference marking the foundation of his ABV party on Saturday that he was even willing to encourage a citizens' initiative boosting presidential powers, Dnevnik.bg reported.