INSIDE:
Protest Against Controversial MP Blocks International Road ... 7
Southeastern Europe Remains Unprepared for Possible Gas Crisis - Observers .... 10
New Bulgarian Parliament Holds Inaugural Sitting
Sofia - The oldest MP in the new Bulgarian Parlia- ment, Stefan Danailov, rang the bell to open the inaugural sitting of the 43rd National Assembly on Monday and led the members in taking the oath of office.
Danailov urged the MPs to work for unity "because nothing is more important than the well-being of the nation and joint efforts are the only way to achieve it". He
said that the principles of democracy are being ignored and urgent steps need to be taken towards national salvation.
The guests of honour at the inaugural sitting included caretaker Prime Minister Georgi Bliznashki, Patriarch Neophyte of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Chief Mufti of Bulgarian Muslims, Mustafa Haji, Members of the European Parliament and foreign diplomats.
President's Address
"Bulgaria does not need messiahs who decide single- handedly what is right and what is wrong, there is no magic formula to take us to the road to prosperity without a concerted effort," President Rosen Plevneliev said, addressing Parliament and the nation at the first sitting of the 43rd National Assembly.
"The solution is to work to the benefit of people, to respect strictly the principles of the law-based State and the separation of powers," the President pointed out.
"To restore trust in the institutions, parties and parliamentarianism, we must publicly and responsibly deliver on our promises. The people had its say by voting, now it's the politicians' move," the head of State said.
A family photo of the MPs of the 43rd National Assembly, which held its
first sitting on Monday BTA Photo Continued on page 2
Continued on page 8
Central Bank Submits Report on Corpbank to National Assembly, Wants Ad Hoc Committee to Look into Case
Sofia - The Governing Council of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) called for the formation of an ad hoc parliamentary committee to look into the case of the Corporate Commercial Bank (Corpbank) on a priority basis right after the start of business of the 43rd National Assembly, it transpired from a BNB press release published on Monday.
The BNB has submitted to Parliament a report containing detailed information on the events and all actions taken and decisions adopted by the central bank with regard to the Corpbank Group (Corporate Commer- cial Bank and Commercial Bank Victoria).
On June 20, 2014, Corpbank suspended all operations after a run by depositors left it illiquid, and on the same day the BNB placed it under special supervision for a maximum of six months to allow a thorough audit and possible restructuring.
According to the BNB report to the legislature, all figures and conclusions by the Corpbank auditors indi- cate that the bank will report negative own capital to the central bank's Banking Supervision Department. In such
a case, the effective legislation tells the central bank to revoke the Corpbank licence within five days from receiving the supervisory reports indicating negative own capital. No later than 20 days from the decision for the delicensing of the bank, the deposit guarantee fund should start paying out the guaranteed deposits (of up to 100,000 euro). This deadline can be delayed by 10 days at the most in the event of emergencies. The payout of deposits will be done by one or more commercial banks chosen by the managing board of the deposit guarantee fund, the
"Whether we like the results or not, we must read them correctly and find the solutions," he noted, adding that "the people want a functioning State guaranteeing fairness, social protection and observance of the rules by all."
"The campaign battles are over, we are now facing reality and the difficult but important decisions that lie ahead," Plevneliev said. He hopes that the National Assembly will turn into an institution "where political forces clash ideas and arguments and leave behind them their personal and partisan clashes".
"None of the steps important for the State can be taken without a working Parliament," the President in- sisted. He added that Bulgaria needs a working Parlia- ment and a regular government.
Plevneliev called for broad political consensus, urgent anti-crisis steps and meaningful structural reforms. "Now that we have eight parties in Parliament, each political force must stress its ability to make concessions," he pointed out. He sees the priorities of the National Devel- opment Programme "Bulgaria 2020" as the basis for this consensus.
He urged for a higher level of political and institutional stability, warning that time is running out for solving a plethora of outstanding problems. "Debts and deficits are mounting, and investments are at disappointing levels,"
the head of State added.
He welcomed the new approach of dialogue, of compar- ing positions and seeking agreement that the political forces
New Bulgarian Parliament Holds Inaugural Sitting
Continued from page 1
The youngest MP is the Ataka party's Kalina Balabanova, who was born in 1990.
Aliosman Imamov is the Move- ment for Rights and Freedoms' (MRF) nomination for the 43rd National Assembly's Deputy Chair, MRF leader Lyutvi Mestan told journalists Monday in Parliament.
Imamov was also deputy chair of the previous parliament.
Mestan will be the Floor Leader of his party's parliamentary group, while his deputies will be Tuncher Kardzhaliev, Ferihan Ahmedova and Stanislav Anastasov. Chetin Kazak will be the group's secre- tary.
Mestan said that if the Patriotic Front's leaders are part of the gov- ernment, the MRF would see it as an unacceptable anti-European coa- lition. If the government is a Euroatlantic one, then it can count on the MRF's support regardless whether the party participates in
the government or not, Mestan said.
Asked whether Delyan Peevski will take the oath as MP, Mestan said that Peevski was elected as MP.
The MRF leader said that he will submit to Parliament a bill for Corpo- rate Commercial Bank on behalf of his party. The bill solves the problem with transparency and behind the scenes deals, Mestan said.
Responding to a question about the replacement of the central bank's Governor, Mestan said his party does not have a nomination for this post.
Ivaylo Kalfin was elected as the Floor Leader of ABV's parliamentary group, said the party's headquarters after the group's meeting on Monday.
Prof. Borislav Borisov ad Gen. Miho Mihov will be deputy floor leaders. ABV will nominate Rossitsa Yanakieva as Parliament's deputy chair.
The ABV party adopted rules of procedures and a code of ethics dur- ing the parliamentary group's meet- ing. ABV's MPs will table this code
in Parliament in the next few weeks.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party's (BSP) National Council has af- firmed the Executive Bureau's pro- posal to nominate Yanaki Stoilov as National Assembly Deputy Chair, said BSP Spokesperson Atanas Merdjanov after the party's Sunday plenum. Merdjanov said BSP will not nominate a Parlia- ment chair, explaining that this will be a right and advantage of the largest parliamentary group. So- cialist leaders are nominating Mihail Mikov as the Parliamentary Group's Floor Leader, Angel Naydenov, Kornelia Ninova and Atanas Merdjanov as deputy floor leaders and Zahari Georgiev, Zhelyo Boychev and Kristian Vigenin as secretaries.
Radan Kanev and Meglena Kuneva were elected as co-floor leaders of the Reformist Bloc's parliamentary group during a Sun- day meeting.
demonstrated before the new National Assembly was constituted. "This approach contributes to trust and greater stability," in his opinion. "I hope that this approach will not be abandoned after a cabinet is formed but will provide a foundation for broad political support for reforms and actions in the public interest," the President emphasized.
In his words, "the broad support for nationally respon- sible policies will restore Bulgarians' trust in institutions."
"It is quite possible that Bulgaria will be governed by coalitions for years ahead. This is not bad," he argued.
Plevneliev stressed that the budget update and the Corporate Commercial Bank (Corpbank) case are only part of a long list of urgent tasks. "The budget has to be updated urgently, lest vital systems in the State are blocked," he noted. "If the truth about Corpbank is covered up, Bulgaria's hijacked transition will continue for many more years. The entire Corpbank model must come to light, it must be dismantled rather than repro- duced," the President insisted.
Chairperson, Deputy Chairs Elected
Tsetska Tsacheva of GERB was elected Chairper- son of the 43rd National Assembly. She was the only nominee for the office. The vote was 219 in favour, 12 against and one abstention.
Tsacheva's nomination was presented by GERB Chairman Boyko Borissov, who recalled that he had offered Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader and former National Assembly Chairman Mihail Mikov to assume
Continued on page 3
New Bulgarian Parliament Holds Inaugural Sitting
Continued from page 2
For the first time, one of the 240 lawmakers asked to leave her parliamentary group and be- come an independent MP even before the inaugu- ration of the National Assembly. This is Anna Barakova, a teacher in Bulgaria's second-largest city Plovdiv, who was elected to Parliament on the ticket of the Bulgaria without Censorship (BwC) party. Barakova says she has received threats from people in her party who want her to give up her parliamentary seat, because they say she won it by mistake. The alleged mistake resulted from the fact that during the elections her number on the party ticket was the same as the number of her party on the mark-choice ballot papers. Barakova's departure from the BwC group will reduce it to 14 members.
this position, but he had declined.
Angel Naydenov MP of BSP Left Bulgaria said that his parliamentary group will back Tsacheva's nomination not only because of the election results and Tsacheva's experience (she served as chair of the 41st National Assembly, 2009-2013) but because "it realizes the need to signify the new relations in the new Parliament, a new political and parliamentary conduct expected and sought by Bulgarian citizens, a conduct that abandons hostility and hate, does not rule out confrontation and differences, but does not include primitive aggression and antago-
nism."
Addressing Parliament after her election, Tsacheva promised to carry on the good practices such as transpar- ency and public openness of the National Assembly, closeness to civil society. She thanked for the trust placed in her by the MPs and said she will rely on experience, dialogue, a candid and open debate.
"The popular vote sent eight political forces to the 43rd National Assembly. The good thing is that 95 per cent of the citizens who went to the polls are represented in Parliament. The bad thing is that more than half of the Bulgarians did not exercise their right to share in power,"
she noted. Tsacheva insisted that, acting quickly and in the interest of the future, the parties should without delay tackle a large build-up of problems held over from the time when the political forces waged battles. The parties should assume the responsibility for the people's today and tomorrow, they should forget about their narrow partisan interests and should seek and find the best legislative solutions in Parliament, she said.
The National Assembly Chairperson listed the budget gap, the energy sector collapse, the high unemployment rate, the demographic crisis and important foreign policy issues, such as the rise of nationalist tendencies and of international terrorism, as problems awaiting urgent leg- islative solutions.
All 235 MPs present voted unanimously to elect eight Deputy Chairpersons of the 43rd National Assembly, one of each parliamentary group: Dimiter Glavchev of GERB, Yanaki Stoilov of BSP Left Bulgaria, Aliosman Imamov of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Ivan Ivanov of the Reformist Bloc, Krassimir Karakachanov of the Patriotic Front, Yavor Haitov of the Bulgarian Demo- cratic Centre, Yavor Notev of Ataka, and Rossitsa Yanakieva of ABV.
The legislature will hold its next sitting at 9 am on Wednesday.
GERB's Borissov Outlines Three Government Sce- narios, not to Run for President
In his remarks at the inaugural meeting of the new Parliament, GERB leader Borissov outlined three sce- narios for the future government. Also, he vowed not to run for President in the next presidential elections. "Presi- dential elections are not in my plans. I ask you to stop all speculations about that," he said.
In the first government scenario as seen by Borissov, the government will have a short life followed by two-in- one elections - general and mayoral - next year. He said that time-wise, it would be an unstable government because the time
is not enough for the state adminis- tration to start working smoothly.
Such a govern- ment might include the Reformist Bloc and the Patriotic Front with its sup- port for a programme, as well as the other
parties - minus Ataka - which were found to have more in common with GERB than differences during the two rounds of talks in the past couple of weeks, Borissov said.
"I am ready to head such a government," he added.
The second scenario is for a two-year government and two-in-one elections, this time general and presiden- tial.
The third scenario is with an unlimited time horizon or a full term of four years.
Borissov reiterated that he would invite the floor leaders of the parliamentary groups at a meeting later this week to agree on any of the scenarios.
It transpired from Borissov's remarks that the sce- narios were discussed at a national meeting of GERB earlier on Monday.
"I am ready to assume the responsibility and carry through any of the three options," he said. He added that he is aware that it could be detrimental for his party "but elections in January would be even more detrimental".
He expects that elections in winter might result in "a
Boyko Borissov BTA Photo
Continued on page 4
worse parliamentary configuration".
It is his personal belief that if the party leaders are involved in the gov- ernment, it would be a more stable government - and he wants to bring this message home during the up- coming leaders' meeting.
He said he is even ready to go along with the Reformist Bloc, whose earlier demand was that the possible GERB government should not be headed by Borissov. He added, though, that he is not sure he would be able to control the GERB minis- ters in such a case.
"I am ready for dialogue in the name of the country. I am ready for any option as long as it promises to bring stability," he added.
He urged the political forces not to transfer any more of their burden to the President's Office.
The GERB leader said he is afraid that anything more he says might torpedo "the fragile peace" and thanked the people who participated in the talks his party held in the past two weeks.
Before taking the rostrum, Borissov went to Patriarch Neofit and kissed his hand.
BSP-Left Bulgaria: Parties Should Refrain from Obscure Gov- ernment Formulas
Addressing the 43rd legislature on Monday, BSP-Left Bulgaria Floor Leader Mihail Mikov urged parties to refrain from obscure government formulas, which would do nothing to help overcome the crisis in this country's democratic development.
"There are no programmatic or tech- nocratic governments. Each govern- ment when supported by more than one party is a coalition government,"
Mikov said.
He said it wasn't fair to the people if politicians hid behind these formu- las.
Mikov said that the 43rd Parlia- ment was varied but more than half of Bulgarian voters who chose not to vote were not represented. "The elec- tions in themselves are not an an- swer to anything," Mikov said.
New Bulgarian Parliament Holds Inaugural Sitting
Continued from page 3 "All parliamentary parties should assume their responsibility in this situ- ation and live up to the expectations of voters," said Mikov.
He said that BSP-Left Bulgaria will be a constructive opposition, will table bills and will support those bills
Mihail Mikov BTA Photo
that it considers important.
He said that his group will take part in solving issues of national sig- nificance such as the case with Cor- porate Commercial Bank, the need for updating the budget and issues in the energy sector.
"We are ready to take part in discussions on national priorities," said Mikov. However, the BSP won't back down from the 12 highlights of its election platform, as they legiti- mize the BSP as a representative of the authentic Left and an alternative to the Right.
Mikov said that BSP-Left Bul- garia puts the welfare state at the core of its ideology, also supporting progressive income taxation and a more active role of the state in mar- ket regulation.
"BSP-Left Bulgaria supports the sustained efforts for economic progress but it must be remembered that progress itself does not ensure social justice," said Mikov.
Lyutvi Mestan: MRF Is Key Guarantor of Democratic Process Addressing the MPs, Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Leader Lyutvi Mestan said that his party will not support a unprincipled, anti-European and anti-NATO coa- lition. "It will be an honor for the Movement to be a clearly outlined and modern opposition of such gov- erning formation. We shall not leave any discriminatory or any other act
addressed against human rights with- out a response," he stated.
"We can do without power but we cannot be separated from the demo- cratic political process because we are one of its pillars," Mestan also said. "For us, it is a matter of political responsibility to support, without par- ticipating in the governance, if nec- essary, a clear Euro-Atlantic profile of the next Bulgarian cabinet. We are aware that a right-of-centre gov- ernance, which is without an alterna- tive with a view to GERB's primary position, cannot enjoy majority sup- port without MRF," he stated.
According to Mestan, the 43rd National Assembly is faced with sev- eral crisis points: budget deficit, the problem with the troubled Corpbank, the inverted pyramid of the health insurance system and the paralyzed systems, such as healthcare. In his opinion, this has prompted social popu- lism.
Lyutvi Mestan BTA Photo
According to Mestan, MRF is ready for in-depth genuine discus- sion of the system problems and vices of the Bulgarian democracy, beginning from Corpbank. He noted that the truth about Corpbank differs from "the myth about the bank of MRF" and it will be revealed. He singled out other important issues, such as vote buying and the appoint- ments in the judicial system.
It is important to find out who has produced the post-election anti-MRF hysteria, the MRF leader also said.
This aims the establishment of a
"favourable emotional environment in order to promote an anti-European and anti-NATO ally between the Right and the nationalistic populism", as he put it.
Continued on page 5
New Bulgarian Parliament Holds Inaugural Sitting
Continued from page 4
Referring to remarks by Patriotic Front Co-Chair Valeri Simeonov, Mestan asked how would expres- sions, such as "Europe should mind its own business", and the appeal to re-consider the agreement on the NATO bases coexist with the Euro- Atlantic values. "In a search for an arithmetic majority, we run a risk of losing the civilized direction for Bul- garia," Mestan observed. "Even if a majority of 202 MPs is ensured, this is not yet a basis for steady gover- nance because it would lack the co- hesion of values".
"This is not a time for revenge now. It is a time to read history not only for the sake of the past but in real time. At the present moment, MRF is a key guarantor of the demo- cratic process," said Mestan. "We are aware of out mission not to allow Bulgaria be diverted from its civilized choice," he added.
Reformist Bloc Will Not Create Hindrances to Formation of Right- of-Centre Government
The Reformist Bloc (RB) will not create obstacles to the formation of a right-of-centre government, RB Co-Floor Leader Meglena Kuneva said at the opening of the 43rd Na- tional Assembly. "We declare our full readiness to assume political and personal responsibility in fulfillment of our duty to stability. We urge the political forces to support a right-of-
Radan Kanev BTA Photo
Valeri Simeonov BTA Photo
Continued on page 6
centre cabinet with clear political responsibility of their leaderships,"
said she.
RB encourages GERB, being the first political force, to perform their assigned role of mandate-holder and form a steady government. "How-
ever, we do not do this uncondition- ally but against clear guarantees of reforms," she observed.
The other RB Co-Floor Leader, Radan Kanev, said that the newly- elected MPs have three main tasks:
to begin the restoration of confi- dence in Parliament and parliamentarianism, to launch the important reforms, the delay of which put the very existence of the law- based State to the test and the estab- lishment of a responsible and daring government. This government should be given a strong and clear legislative framework and rules that would pre- vent it from abusing public power and further undermining the prestige of democracy.
According to RB, a minority cabi- net would be the third one not to serve its full term. "We should form a government in accordance with the will of the Bulgarian people but not a government of everybody that would leave the Bulgarian people in opposi- tion," Kanev said.
RB will not allow violation of the human rights and the European norms of tolerance to diversity. However, they would not allow "using the card of the human rights as an umbrella for corruption and outrages in the Bulgarian justice system," he added.
"We should all accept our pres- ence here as a necessity or an act of personal submission. Let's forget the fake self-confidence of affiliation to Bulgaria's national elite," Kanev ap- pealed. Unfortunately, the national elite rarely enters the building of the National Assembly, he added.
Patriotic Front to Seek Alliance in Parliament to Remove Ethnic Parties from Power
Patriotic Front (PF) Co-Chair- man Simeonov presented the PF's priorities in Parliament, which in- clude seeking agreement and syn- ergy with all other political forces in the 43rd National Assembly to limit the influence and remove from power the ethnic parties.
Among the priorities Simeonov listed are the introduction of patrio- tism and a school subject and military training in high school. The formation
is also in favour of reinstating military conscription.
Simeonov said his formation will also work for removing the National Health Insurance Fund's monopoly, adopting urgent measures for break- ing up the cartel in the pharmaceuti- cal industry, lowering the price of medicines, introducing legislative changes aimed at relieving SMEs, a long-term national tourism strategy, efficient EU funds absorption, freez- ing and lowering the price of electric- ity.
According to the PF, a compre- hensive educational reform is needed, which includes the introduction of a mandatory Bulgarian language exam for all children who have reached six
years of age.
The PF will work to investigate the reasons and find those guilty for the banking crisis, keep the flat tax for businesses and introduce a pro- gressive income tax for families, re- duce party subsidies and put an end to maternity benefits abuse.
The PF also calls for draconian measures aimed at protecting the environment.
The formation also proposes amending the election legislation by introducing mandatory voting and stopping electoral manipulations in the voting sections in Turkey, Simeonov said.
Bulgaria without Censorship:
We Should Make Concessions on Divisive Issues
In a statement during Parliament's inaugural sitting on Monday, Bulgar- ian without Censorship Floor Leader Svetlin Tanchev vowed that his group will work to have for as long as
New Bulgarian Parliament Holds Inaugural Sitting
Continued from page 5
Svetlin Tanchev BTA Photo
Ivailo Kalfin BTA Photo
Volen Siderov BTA Photo
possible a working Parliament and government which have people's interests at heart. However, if Parliament served lobbyist interests, his group would do anything to dissolve it, he said.
In his words, the 43rd National Assembly has the broadest representation in the country's history. "This vote compels us to make concessions on issues which divide us," said Tanchev, adding that his group is ready to support a broad coalition government.
"Our priorities are the nation's economic and spiritual salvation," he said, adding that a highlight of their election programme is creation of new jobs.
In his words, an ad hoc parliamentary committee should be set up to look into the Corpbank case. "We should not allow Corpbank's credit records to become the new state security records of the transition," he said.
Tanchev urged for permanent parliamentary commit- tee with 50 per cent participation of civil organizations to assess the impact of each law passed by the legislature.
"There is no clear road ahead. We will be tracing it with our own steps. It is up to us to remain people during that journey. We'll have many arguments over the direc- tion but at least let's try to leave an impression that we are walking together," he said.
Also, it transpired from Tanchev's remarks that his group will be called Bulgarian Democratic Centre. He explained that the new name represents most fully their political views and aspirations.
ABV: We'll Succeed if We Are a National Team Addressing the 43rd National Assembly during its inaugural sitting on Monday, ABV Floor Leader Ivailo Kalfin said that this legislature would succeed if it worked as a national team and urged political parties to seek consensus on national priorities. "I am as much against erasing differences between parties, as I am against parties confronting each other on every issue for no good reason at the expense of people," said Kalfin.
He said that a national consensus should be sought on several issues such as strong State and institutions, end to political appointments, fairness and effective justice, a good election code, and demographic policy, including education, incomes, healthcare, national security, bal- anced regional development, strengthening national iden- tity, science and culture.
Kalfin said that there are external and internal threats which can make politicians side in defence of national
interests such as the advancing Islamic fundamentalism, the changing EU, the banking system, budget and in- comes.
According to Kalfin, unification around national pri- orities will show a different approach and will motivate those 50 per cent of Bulgarian vot- ers who didn't vote.
In his words, this legislature should
change the public's perception that politicians are spong- ers.
Kalfin wished MPs to prove wrong those who say that the Bulgarian people are not able to elect 240 MPs, who are competent, honest and conscientious.
Ataka Thanks Bulgarians Who Have Busted Elec- tions Scenario and Voted for Them
Ataka Leader Volen Siderov thanked the Bulgar- ians who "busted the scenario of these elections and returned Ataka to Parliament". "GERB was expected to have full comfort with the support of obedient p a r l i a m e n t a r y groups, while Ataka should not have entered Par- liament, not to dis- turb the idyll,"
Siderov said.
"Ataka's fight is consistent. The in- terest of the hu- miliated and in- sulted Bulgarians has been and will be our pain and concern in the incumbent National Assembly," said Siderov adding that they have already submitted 43 bills to Parliament. These concern the increase of incomes, chasing away the monopolistic electricity distribution companies, returning Bulgarian gold in national hands, reducing electricity prices, industrialization of Bulgaria, dusting off major and important energy projects, said he.
Siderov appealed for immediate termination of the sanctions against Russia. "It is a high time that the leaderships of all European states abandon their hu- miliating servile policy towards USA and stop fulfilling the painful ambitions of Washington because they will trigger a war. The worthy peoples of the European countries want and deserve worthy leaders and wor- thy politics, while the existing EU does not provide them," the Ataka leader also said. He added that the Union should be disbanded and re-established on the basis of true democratic principles and true sovereignty.
Protest against Controversial MP Blocks International Road
The protest against the election of Alexander Metodiev BTA Photo
Sofia - In the latest of a series of protests against the controver- sial election of an MP of the Move- ment for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) as a representative in the
new legislature, some 170 people blocked the E-79 international road at Doupnitsa, Southwestern Bul- garia, on Monday.
The said MP, Alexander Metodiev, received only 864 votes in the October 5 early general elections, but won a seat in Parlia- ment due to the use of the Hare/
Niemeyer formula incorporated in the Election Code, and will be the only MRF representative for Kyustendil and Doupnitsa in the legislature. Experts have explained that Metodiev's election is a result of the votes cast by Bulgarians abroad.
The Monday protest resulted in the formation of long lines of ve-
hicles waiting in both directions on the road that links the capital Sofia and the border with Greece at Kulata. Some of the drivers and passengers cheered in support of
the protest.
A larger group of people from Kyustendil and Doupnitsa came to Sofia to rally outside the Parliament build- ing while the new MPs were there for their inaugural meet- ing.
They were pre- paring to move to Parliament a petition for changes in the election legislation to undo what they see as an injustice in the election of Metodiev as a repre- sentative of Kyustendil and Doupnitsa.
MRF has refused to withdraw Metodiev as a deputy but admitted that the Election Code needs to be amended.
The protests against the elec- tion of MRF deputies featured prominently in the remarks of MRF leader Lyutvi Mestan at Parliament's inaugural sitting. He asked who stands behind the pro- tests and what were they really after, and said they were aimed against the lawful rights of Bulgar- ian citizens to elect and be elected.
"Why should it be a problem that a worthy Bulgarian politi- cian, Chetin Kazak, was elected to Parliament by 3,000 votes in Gabrovo and it is not a problem that Ataka won one mandate on a mere 1,400 votes in Silistra where the Bulgarian Socialist Party got 8,015 votes to send an MP. Why isn't there a protest in Silistra, Ms Manolova, and the mandate of Chetin Kazak is a problem,"
Mestan asked turning to Maya Manolova of the Socialist Party who was among the authors of the effective Election Code.
He said that what he called
"anomalies" are caused by a flawed method of vote distribution whose impact goes beyond MRF.
In the meantime, Metodiev voiced the stance that those who protest his election have been given money. "The problem is that Roma Alexadner Metodiev stopped the buying of Roma votes," he said before journalists.
Metodiev said that he will not give up his seat as MP. He said that he has been elected due to the effective legislative provisions and that he would support their possible change. "I am a national representative of all citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria and not only of the ones of Kyustendil or Doupnitsa," Metodiev said add- ing that he feels discriminated from the current protests.
State of Disaster Lifted in Bourgas Region
Sofia - The state of disaster in the coastal Bourgas Region, which was hit by severe rainstorms over the weekend, was lifted on Monday, the regional administration said. The villages of Sinemorets and Rezovo remain without electricity and cut off from the rest of the country after the Veleka River over- flowed its banks close to where it empties into the Black Sea.
The disaster in Bourgas Region claimed the life of a 39-year-old woman, who was found drowned in Primorsko Municipality on Sunday morning.
The north-central Region of Gabrovo is still officially in a state of disaster after snowstorms caused serious
problems there. The situation is the same in the munici- pality of Sevlievo.
Harsh weather in the north of the country has closed down 31 schools in Gabrovo Region, 6 schools in Lovech Region, 2 schools and 9 kindergartens in Razgrad Region and 1 school in Silistra Region, the Education and Science Ministry said.
In Sevlievo Municipality, 15 settlements are still with- out elecricity, five have had water supply disrupted and 11 have lost all mobile phone connections.
But overall, the situation is slowly coming back to normal nationwide. All roads are now passable with the normal precautions for winter.
Central Bank Submits Report on Corpbank to National Assembly, Wants Ad Hoc Committee to Look into Case
Continued from page 1
BNB explains.
Any other actions and decisions by the BNB or the deposit guarantee fund would be possible only if Parlia- ment amends the effective legisla- tion, the central bank says in its re- port to the legislature.
It specifies that part of the infor- mation in the report is made available for the first time to the MPs and the general public.
The report also includes the com- munications with the principal share- holders of Corpbank and the BNB's correspondence with the European Commission, the European Banking
Authority and the International Mon- etary Fund.
The BNB seeks to help the MPs in taking prompt and adequate deci- sions, considering that the special supervision expires as early as on November 20 for Corpbank and on November 22 for Commercial Bank Victoria, the press release reads.
"I insist on full publicity about Corpbank in order to make it clear that I have nothing to do with the case," Delyan Peevski MP of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) told journalists in Parliament.
His statement was prompted by a Bill amending the Banks Act moved by him and his colleague Yordan Tsonev. Peevski declared that he does not maintain any relations with Corpbank majority owner Tsvetan Vassilev.
Controversial businessman and politician Delyan Peevski used to be Vassilev's partner and friend.
Their spectacular war coincided with the collapse of Corpbank and culminated in an exchange of life threat accusations. Vassilev accuses Peevski and the prosecution about the attacks against the bank.
Formally, Peevski does not own any assets of the bank. It is alleged that all his assets, related to Corpbank, have been transferred to other figurehead persons and companies. Therefore, MRF does not object to any investigation of Corpbank.
Peevski appealed for an objective approach, adding that he is not in the root of the problem. "This will become clear. You will see the law, you will see who is in the centre," he said. Peevski explained that the bill does not cover a single bank.
MRF is for a market solution of the case, Peevski also said. The proposed Bill provides for full publicity of everything that has happened within Corpbank. It also suggests to select a foreign investigating company that would check the flows, the assets, the transfers before and after the placement of the bank under conservatorship. This is expected to make it clear who has and is disposing with the assets. When the facts are publicized, the involved politicians will also become known, he noted.
GERB Chairman Borissov Confers with World Bank Country Manager
for Bulgaria Thompson
Sofia - GERB Party Chairman Boyko Borissov has had a get-acquainted meeting with the World Bank's new Country Manager for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Tony Thompson, GERB said in a press release on Monday.
The two considered the opportunities for support for reforms and cooperation in infrastructure that the World Bank can provide to Bulgaria. Thompson presented the three principal sectors in which the World Bank commits itself: energy, finance and banking, and infrastructure, with a focus on roads, where providing long-term, low-interest loans under very lucrative terms for this country is being consid- ered, the press release says.
Borissov and Thompson expressed the hope that Bulgaria and the World Bank will strengthen their good cooperation so that a number of projects impor- tant for Bulgaria could be implemented.
International Climate Change Experts Give Positive Marks to Bulgaria's Sixth National
Communication, First Biennial Report
Sofia - During an official visit to Sofia between October 20 and 25, an international expert review team of the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reviewed the Sixth National Communica- tion and the First Biennial Report of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Ministry of Environment and Water said in a press release on Monday.
The reviewers found that all key requirements and instructions of the Convention and of the Kyoto Protocol were complied with. The recommendations made con- cern elements of non-binding nature that would enhance the content of the two documents, the Ministry pointed out.
At the final session, the review team gave positive marks to the national reports and expressed satisfaction with the experts' diligent work and competence. The final report on Bulgaria is expected to be made publicly available in mid- February 2015.
Transport Minister to Pay Working Visit to Romania
Sofia - Minister of Transport, Information Technol- ogy and Communications Nikolina Angelkova is leaving on a working visit to Bucharest, her Ministry's press office said on Monday.
On Tuesday, Minister Angelkova will sign a Memo- randum of Understanding on conducting feasibility stud- ies for the construction of new bridges over the Danube.
On the Romanian side, the memorandum will be signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Administration Liviu Nicolae Dragnea.
Road Infrastructure Agency Launches Strouma Motorway Lot 4 Contract
Termination Procedure
Sofia - The Road Infrastructure Agency has under- taken the necessary steps to terminate the contract with Greek company Actor ASD as contractors for the development of Lot 4 of the Strouma motorway between the southwestern towns of Sandanski and Koulata, the agency said Monday. The lot lies between km 423+800 and km 438+500.
The project is co-funded by the European Union's Cohesion Fund and Bulgaria through Operational Programme Transport 2007-2013.
To date the project has been implemented at a mere 50 per cent. The construction works completed so far will be described in detail by a special commis- sion, including construction supervision, representa- tives of the contracting authority, the designer and the constructor.
The agency will launch a new public procure- ment procedure for building and construction works required to complete the site if the current contrac- tor does not speed up the work. The new contrac- tor will have 150 days to complete the public procurement after receiving a building permit, Deputy Prime Minister Iliyana Tsanova told jour- nalists back on October 7.
Bulgaria Elected for ITU Council Member for Seventh Time
Sofia - Bulgaria was elected a member of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union), the United Nations specialized agency for information and com- munication technologies, for the seventh consecutive time. This was done at the ITU Plenipotentiary Con- ference hosted by the Republic of Korea's city of Busan, the Ministry of Transport, Information Tech- nology and Communications said Monday.
Over the next four-year period Bulgaria, one of the 48 of the 60 candidate countries for the ITU Council seats, will participate in its work from the quota of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The council determines the spending of funds from the organisation's budget, outlines priorities and proposes initiatives, as well as implementing various regional projects.
A special address of Transport, Information Technol- ogy and Communications Minister Nikolina Angelkova was read at the Plenipotentiary Conference, underscor- ing the 134-year tradition of this country in its relations with ITU and its active participation in the drafting of international documents of the union.
Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian Stock Exchanges Apply for EBRD Financing for
Common IT Platform
Sofia - SEE Link doo Skopje, established in 2014 by the Macedonian Stock Exchange, Bulgarian Stock Ex- change and Zagreb Stock Exchange, has applied for financing to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and intends to use part of the proceeds to acquire an IT platform (ITP), the Bulgarian Stock Exchange said Monday.
The proposed project, which has a total estimated cost of 250,000 euro, will require the procurement of an ITP, which would facilitate order-routing and straight through processing of trades that would integrate the three countries' stock exchanges.
Tendering is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Plovdiv Court Removes Brezovo Mayor, Deputy, Municipal Secretary from Office
Plovdiv, Southern Bulgaria - Plovdiv Regional Court has removed from office the mayor of Brezovo Municipality, Radnyu Manolov, Deputy Mayor Dimiter Tomov and the Secretary of the municipality, Stoyna Maleshkova, the court said Monday. All three are charged with forging notarized statements at the municipality.
Between January 17, 2013, and October this year at least 114 such actions were made transferring citizens' pension contributions from one fund to another.
The judgment is not final and is liable to appeal within three days, Plovdiv Regional Court said.
Southeastern Europe Remains Unprepared for Possible Energy Crisis, Observers Say
Sofia - Southeastern Europe and the Black Sea region remain unprepared to respond adequately to a possible energy crisis as the conflict in Eastern Ukraine goes on.
The conclusion was drawn Monday at a conference on
"Energy Security and State Capture Risks in Europe,"
hosted by the Sofia-based Center for the Study of De- mocracy (CSD).
Opening the conference, Bulgarian Defence Minister Velizar Shalamanov pointed to a direct link between energy supplies and national security, which is due to the fact that both of these areas are dependent on external factors. Shalamanov said Bulgaria imports natural gas exclusively from Russia, which is a form of dependence similar to the dependence resulting from the continuing failure of the Bulgarian Air Force to replace its Russian fighters with other aircraft after more than 10 years of talks.
Michael Ruhle, Head of the Energy Security Sec- tion in NATO's International Staff, said the crisis in Ukraine has brought home the understanding that geographical location is essential for energy security and gas pipelines mean economic and political power.
Ruhle said that besides the military solidarity epito- mized by NATO, it is necessary to have energy solidarity in the EU.
A CSD study shows that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe pay 100 US dollars more than the West- ern European nations for 1,000 cubic metres of natural gas. This is due to the almost complete dependence of Central and Eastern Europe on Russian gas. Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Macedonia and Serbia get 100 per cent of their gas imports from Russia, but the dependence of the national economy on imported gas is only 24.3 per cent in Romania, compared with 90 per cent in Bulgaria.
The price of natural gas is 399 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres in Romania, 400 dollars in Moldova, 503 dollars in the Czech Republic and 458 dollars in Bulgaria, the study shows.
More than 30 per cent of Bulgarians are unable to heat their homes well, because energy prices are too high in relation to their incomes.
According to representatives of European research cen- tres who spoke at the conference, one way to overcome energy dependence is to set reserve quotas for the EU Member States according to the degree of their vulnerability in case of gas import interruption. Another viable solution is to boost investments in the European gas and electricity systems.
Number of Trips to Bulgaria by Foreign Holidaymakers Down 8.8%
in September
Sofia - In September 2014, the number of arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria was 1,108,000, which is 0.5 per cent less than in September 2013. An 8.8 per cent drop was registered in the number of trips for holiday and recreation purposes, while the number of trips with professional purpose and other purposes increased by 23.9 per cent and 2.9 per cent, respec- tively, said the National Statistical Institute on Mon- day.
The share of visits by EU citizens was 64.0 per cent of the total number of foreigners' visits to Bulgaria in September 2014, which is 2.4 per cent less compared to last September. A decrease was registered in the number of visits by citizens of Romania - by 21.3 per cent, Hungary - by 15.4 per cent, Greece - by 4.8 per cent. At the same time there was an increase in visits by citizens of the Czech Republic - by 11.6 per cent, Germany - by 10.9 per cent, Spain - by 10.0 per cent, the United Kingdom - by 8.3 per cent, France - by 6.2 per cent, the Netherlands - 5.3 per cent.
Visits by foreigners from other European coun- tries decreased by 1.6 per cent as the highest de- crease was observed in the visits by citizens of Ukraine and the Russian Federation - by 23.2 per cent and 21.5 per cent respectively .
In September 2014, the predominant share of the visits was for holiday and recreation pur- poses - 46.7 per cent, followed by these with others purposes (including as guest and passing transit) - 37. 9 per cent and with professional purpose - 15.4 per cent.
In September 2014, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 407,000 or 9.7 per cent more than in September 2013.
The most trips made by Bulgarians abroad this September were for other purposes (as a guest, education and visit the cultural and sport events), making up 41.6 per cent of all trips, followed by the trips for holiday and recreation purposes - 33.7 per cent, and professional pur- pose trips - 24.7 per cent. Compared to last September, an increase was registered in the number trips with professional and holiday and recreation purposes - by 41.5 per cent and 30.2 per cent respectively, while trips for other pur- poses decreased by 13.0 per cent.
Bulgarian Construction Chamber Presents Annual Awards
Sofia - The Bulgarian Construc- tion Chamber (BCC) presented its annual awards in Sofia on Sunday.
The winners are 36 construction com- panies in four categories, selected from among 3,268 nominees.
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Development and Investment Plan- ning Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds Iliyana Tsanova, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova and members of Parliament.
Zaharieva said she hopes that next year will be better for the construction sector than this year.
She noted that there is a consider- able amount of EU aid available to
Bulgaria in the 2014-2020 period.
"I hope that next year will not be a zero year in terms of absorbing new funding, because this year was a zero one," Zaharieva said, shar- ing her expectation that the num- ber of construction business start- ups will be larger than the number of shutdowns.
BCC President Svetoslav Glossov said this year has been a hard time for the construction sec- tor as EU-supported programmes have been suspended and even the weather seemed to be conspiring against the builders. He thanked the companies which donated re- sources to flood victims. Glossov urged the politicians to rise above
their narrow partisan interests and put together a stable government which will unblock EU funding and allow the construction business to return to normal.
Sofia Mayor Fandakova noted that 2014 has been a rather robust year for Sofia despite the difficulties in the rest of the country. Sofia City Hall remains the most reliable payer, she said. Many ambitious projects have been completed recently and the programme for next year is not less ambitious, Fandakova said. Con- struction companies can expect new offers from the local government in Sofia, because the city has been selected as European Capital of Sport in 2018.
Bulgarian Jews Will Work for Designation of More Bulgarians as Righteous among Nations
Sofia - Bulgarian Jews will work for more Bulgarians to be designated as Righteous among the Nations, it emerged during a BTA-hosted discussion on Monday.
Samuel Arditi, whose family emigrated to Israel in 1949, said that in Bulgaria, which did not spare a single Jew during World War Two, there are only 20 people who hold that title, while Poland where 3 million Jews perished, has 6,500.
"Bulgarian Jews in Israel have not done enough to show our gratitude to the Bulgarian people," he said.
Arditi vowed to work to save Bulgaria's honour, adding that he had filed an application that MPs of the 25th National Assembly who spoke against the Law for Protection of the Nation be designated as righteous. He
said he had contacted the State Archives Agency and had obtained all transcripts which he will present to the Yad Vashem Commission.
One of Yad Vashem's principal duties is to convey the gratitude of the State of Israel and the Jewish people to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
A person can be considered for the title of Righteous Among the Nations when the data on hand based on survivor testimony or other documentation, clearly dem- onstrates that a non-Jewish person risked his or her life, freedom, and safety, in order to rescue one or several Jews from the threat of death or deportation without exacting monetary compensation or other rewards.
BTA NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
Your advertisement at the National Press Club becomes part of the day's news, reaches the broadest audience you've ever dreamt of.
BTA National Press Club managers:
Tel: +359 2 943 3622, 9262 260 Fax: +359 2 9262 391 E-mail: pressclub@bta.bg
• the most up-to-date audio-visual equipment
• fibre optic Internet access
• possibility to file reports straight from news conferences
• video screens
• new conference interpretation facilities, audiovisual links, TV interactives
• extra services: audio and video taping, still photography, CD, clipping
• catering
• special advertising wall panel
• Internet connectivity from own laptop equipped with network card.
Sofia - The Bulgarian National Bank sets the rates of foreign currencies against the Bulgarian lev applicable from 5 p.m. on October 27 to 5 p.m. on October 28, 2014. The central rates are used for the purposes of accounting, statistics, customs valuation and remittances. The commercial banks set the exchange rates at which foreign exchange is bought and sold.
October 27 - October 28, 2014 C U R R E N C Y
C U R R E N C Y C U R R E N C Y C U R R E N C Y
C U R R E N C Y ISO CODEISO CODEISO CODEISO CODEISO CODE F O RF O RF O RF O RF O R L E V AL E V AL E V AL E V AL E V A
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR AUD 1
BRAZILIAN REAL BRL 10
CANADIAN DOLLAR CAD 1
SWISS FRANC CHF 1
CHINESE YUAN RENMINBI CNY 10
CZECH KORUNA CZK 100
DANISH KRONE DKK 10
BRITISH POUND GBP 1
HONG KONG DOLLAR HKD 10
CROATIAN KUNA HRK 10
HUNGARIAN FORINT HUF 1,000
INDONESIAN RUPIAH IDR 10,000
IZRAELI SHEKEL ILS 10
INDI AN RUPIAH INR 100
ICELANDIC KRONA * ISK
JAPANESE YEN JPY 100
SOUTH KOREAN WON KRW 1,000
LITHUANIAN LITAS LTL 10
MEXICAN PESO MXN 10
MALAYSIAN RINGGIT MYR 1
NORWEGIAN KRONE NOK 10
NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR NZD 1
PHILIPPINE PESO PHP 100
POLISH ZLOTY PLN 10
NEW ROMANIAN LEU RON 10
RUSSIAN ROUBLE RUB 100
SWEDISH KRONA SEK 10
SINGAPOREAN DOLLAR SGD 10
THAI BAHT THB 100
NEW TURKISH LIRA TRY 10
US DOLLAR USD 1
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND ZAR 10
GOLD XAU 1 troy ounce
Weather Forecast
Today's Observances:
October 28
Exchange Rates
*From 01.09.2010 the BNB discontinued the publication of the ISK/BGN exchange rate in relation to the discontinued quotation by the European Central Bank (ECB) of the ISK/
EUR reference exchange rate. When the quotation of the ISK/EUR exchange rate by the ECB is resumed, the BNB will resume the publication of the ISK/BGN exchange rate.
©
ENGLISH VERSION EDITORS:
Svetlozar Nikolov tel: (+359 2) 92 62205 Lyubomir Gigov tel: (+359 2) 92 62279
TRANSLATORS: Diana Doukovska, Bistra Roushkova, Zhechka Dimitrova, Valentin Evstatiev, Tanya Kirova, Petya Petrova, Dimitrina Solakova, Metodi Yordanov Tel: (+359 2) 9262279
(+359 2) 9262 242 ext. 279/378 COMPUTER DESIGN: Hristina Yankova PUBLISHED BY:
Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) 49 Tsarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria EXTERNAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT:
HEAD: Nadezhda Filipova tel:(+359 2) 9262279; 9262205 BULGARIAN TEXT EDITORS:
Lubomir Jordanov, Petar Kadrev, Vesela Ilieva Tel: (+359 2) 987 1633; 9262215
Fax: (+359 2)981 4208/9862289; Tlx: 22821, 22586 E-mail: dnews@bta.bg
BTA guarantees the accuracy of quotations but accepts no liability for the accuracy of any statement contained therein. The responsibility for quoted opinions rests solely with the parties and/or sources quoted, and quotation does not imply an endorsement or acceptance of any such opinions by BTA. Unless otherwise expressly specified, all items in this daily are written, compiled and/or translated by BTA staff writers and correspondents and must be credited accordingly.
Copyright 2014 by BTA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, BTA.
The world:
- International Animation Day, celebrating the art of animation since 2002;
- National Day of the Czech Republic: Czechoslovak Founding Day (1918).
On this date in Bulgarian history:
1944 - Bulgaria signs an armi- stice with the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom in Moscow during World War II.
1992 - The government of Prime Minister Filip Dimitrov loses a confidence vote in parliament and is thus forced to resign.
The only English-language daily newsletter in Bulgaria
It offers you the latest in Bulgarian politics, business, culture, public life and sports. The events are covered with ex- tensive background information and detailed profiles of all players. There are also interviews, regular updates on legis- lative changes and a Weekly Round-up of Political Events at the end of the week.
Enclosed with the Daily News is a same- day Press Review.
October 28: Broken clouds in the West, mostly cloudy in the rest of the country. Light snow in the Northeast.
Lows: minus 3C to 2C. Highs: 3 to 8C, up to 10-12C in the Southwest.
THE MOUNTAINS: Broken clouds. Highs: around 4C at 1,200 metres and around minus 1C at 2,000 metres above sea level.
THE COAST: Cloudy with scattered showers. Highs: 6-7C.
Source: National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
1.35614 6.08345 1.37145 1.62175 2.52212 7.05948 2.62721 2.48486 1.98854 2.54841 6.33406 1.27207 4.07041 2.51623
* 1.43012 1.46582 5.66448 1.13625 4.70797 2.32976 1.21442 3.44385 4.63072 4.41896 3.64839 2.11286 1.20902 4.75663 6.89401 1.54257 1.40628 1,898.29
