Parliament Rejects Proposals to Hear Ministers After Floods

At the beginning of today's plenary session of the National Assembly, the adopted program provided for the discussion of a number of important issues. The first item on the agenda was scheduled for discussion of three bills to amend the Law on Preschool and School Education.

However, already at the beginning of the session, it became clear that some proposals, submitted by the opposition, would not be accepted. Two proposals, related to a request to hear representatives of the government, were rejected. One concerned the floods in the Elenite and Tsarevo resort complexes, and the other – a request to include on the agenda a draft decision to create a temporary commission to investigate the floods of recent years.

The MPs from "Vazrazhdane" had submitted a proposal to hear Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Ministers Ivan Ivanov, Daniel Mitov and Manol Genov. The request was in connection with the actions and inactions of the government in connection with the floods on October 3 this year on the Southern Black Sea coast, including due to construction in riverbeds, ravines and catchment areas. The proposal did not receive support even upon re-voting: 93 MPs supported the request, 45 were against, and 81 abstained.

Also, with 96 votes "for", 3 "against" and 120 "abstentions", a proposal by Nadezhda Yordanova (We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria) was rejected. She insisted on hearing the Minister of Environment and Water Manol Genov regarding the causes and factors that led to the floods on October 3 this year on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, in particular in the Elenite and Tsarevo resort complexes.

The MPs from "Vazrazhdane" also submitted a proposal to discuss a draft decision to create a temporary commission to check all facts and circumstances related to the floods in Bulgaria in recent years. The commission was to investigate the actions and inactions of the executive branch. The proposal was rejected with 87 votes "for", 34 "against" and 95 "abstentions".

Within the framework of today's session, the proposal of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" for hearing the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov, as well as the director of the "Automobile Administration" EA, was also not accepted. The proposal was related to the detained employees of the agency, accused of soliciting a bribe from international drivers transporting equipment for a concert in Sofia. Upon re-voting, 92 MPs supported the hearing, 40 were against, and 86 abstained.

At the same time, Yavor Bozhankov (PP-DB) submitted a proposal to include on the agenda a draft decision to grant permission to initiate criminal proceedings against the MP from "Vazrazhdane" Slavcho Krumov, which also did not receive support.

"We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" requested a hearing of the acting chairman of the Commission for Combating Corruption, Anton Slavchev, in connection with data on the exertion of pressure on witnesses within the framework of criminal proceedings, but their proposal was rejected even upon re-voting with 96 votes "for", 38 "against" and 86 abstentions. The re-voting was requested by Atanas Atanasov (PP-DB), who drew a parallel with events from the past, emphasizing that "everything is clear, but the mayor of Varna is in jail".

In addition to the discussion of the bills on education, other important points are planned in the parliament's program for today. The first reading of amendments to the Law on Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria is forthcoming. Also on the agenda is the second reading of amendments to the Law on the Commercial Register and the Register of Non-Profit Legal Entities, as well as the ratification of the Protocol for amending the Agreement between the governments of Bulgaria and Romania on cross-border police cooperation on criminal matters.