The Bulgarian Press July 8, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, July 8 (BTA)

HOME SCENE

The dailies continue to give prominence to the July 5 parliamentary elections and the commentaries about them.

The papers cite Boiko Borissov, informal leader of the winner in the elections, the GERB party, as saying that the Emergency Situations Ministry will be closed and the positions of European Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the EU funds will not be included in the new Council of Ministers. At least two World Bank experts will hold ministerial positions in the new Cabinet, "24 Chassa" writes on its front page.
Most ministers will have two deputies and only several of them - three. The regional governors will also have two to three deputies.

The "Troud" paper cites President Georgi Purvanov as saying that the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), Sergei Stanishev, should request a vote of confidence from the party.

The same paper cites the Head of State as saying that "BSP lost due to haughtiness and serious mistakes". "24 Chassa" quotes Purvanov as saying that the new incumbents should not neglect current EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, who possesses potential to work for Bulgaria within the EU. According to "24 Chassa", Borissov will first form a cabinet and then seek support from the Blue Coalition. According to "Monitor", the President suggested that the ruling coalition includes GERB, the Blue Coalition and Order, Lawfulness, Justice.

Purvanov congratulated GERB and turned its back to BSP, "Sega" writes. "Standart News", "Zemya" and "Klassa" cite the Head of State as saying that GERB ensures stability in politics.

"Troud" publishes a political commentary under the headline "BSP - Restart or Recharging". It contains an analysis of possible future actions and policies of the Socialist Party.

Would-be Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and President Purvanov will draw up jointly a new election code, the dailies write. Borissov is reportedly ready with nominees for the future cabinet and for the position of National Assembly Chair.

None of the candidates of the Sofia structure of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) was elected as MP and this has caused discontent within the party, "Troud" writes. According to the daily, there will be no representatives of the Blue Coalition (a coalition of UDF and Democrats for Strong Bulgaria) in the Government and Democrats for Strong Bulgaria leader Ivan Kostov allegedly denied that he would be Parliament Chairman.

According to "Monitor", Kostov insists that the Blue Coalition should have at least three ministers in the new Cabinet: Ekaterina Mihailova and Dimo Gyaourov are likely candidates to head the Justice Ministry and Yordan Hristoskov - the Social Ministry.

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) will be vigilant about a possible political purge and, if someone is dismissed without any grounds, he will have the party's protection, MRF MP Ramzi Osman is quoted as saying.

MRF Leader Ahmed Dogan was ahead of a business grouping rather than of a party and it will disintegrate within months because it cannot survive on the free market without financial flows from the state, "Sega" writes in a commentary.

NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE - TAX RETURNS

The press reports that the National Audit Office has publicized data of the tax return of senior government and local government officials, MPs and magistrates.

"Troud" writes that last year Maria Mourgina, former chief of the National Revenue Agency, bought a 434 sq.m. house for 527,000 leva. The same paper says that Justice Minister Miglena
Tacheva bought a 62 sq.m. flat for 360,000 leva.

In 2008 National Movement for Surge and Stability leader Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Coalition for Bulgaria MP Dobromir Goushterov had the largest bank deposits. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha has declared a deposit of 3.76 million leva held in foreign banks and 70,000 leva in Bulgarian ones, while Goushterov stated that his personal funds amounted to 616,086 leva. Last year Socialist Party MP Zheni Zhivkova, granddaughter of former communist dictator Todor Zhivkov, received 150,000 leva in dividends and Left MP Roumen Ovcharov earned 54,500 leva from salaries and 61,000 leva from business activity and bought shares for 60,000
leva.

ECONOMY

The dailies cite a statement of GERB expert Simeon Dyankov, believed to be the likeliest new Finance Minister, who says that the lack of a common information system covering the tax
services and the customs results in an annual loss of 800 million leva. Dyankov is also cited as saying that the wages of civil servants will not be reduced due to the likely budget deficit but may be frozen. The national dailies write that Dyankov may invite experts of the International Monetary Fund in the country to make a joint analysis of the economic situation.

"Troud" runs an article by Bulgarian Industrial Association President Bozhidar Danev, who says that the state should divest of its interest in companies. He insists on acceleration of the
bankruptcy procedures of cash strapped companies and liberalization of the energy market among other things.

The Communications Regulation Commission and the Council for Electronic Media will merge and the new structure should be ready by the autumn, "Troud" writes. The purpose of the merger is to enhance the efficiency of the members of the new structure.

The price of the policy of the motor third party insurance will go up to 300 euro in 2012, the dailies write referring to insurance experts.

"Troud" and "Douma" write that the Podkrepa Labour Confederation declared itself against the planned five percent reduction of social insurance contributions, which means 700 million leva less for the budget of the National Social Security Institute.

Interviewed by "24 Chassa" Ivo Prokopiev, Chairman of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria, says that unemployment and social tension will increase because of
the economic crisis. In his view 1,500 million leva should be cut from the budget expenditures so as to ensure a balanced budget by the end of the year.

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

Emergency Situations Minister Emel Etem will be questions in connection with the arrest of her deputy Alexander Filipov. Filipov was arrested Monday on charges of vote buying.


Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:

• http://www.thebulgarianpost.com/
• http://www.bta.bg/site/bg/index.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/



Most discussed topics of the day – July 8, 2009


• GERB Chairman Tsvetan Tsvetanov will be interior minister in the next cabinet. This emerged during a meeting between Prosecutor General Boris Velchev, the prosecuting magistracy leadership and GERB informal leader Boiko Borissov. "Within six months we should prove to Brussels that it is up to us to restore confidence and to return the money from the European funds to Bulgaria," Borissov said after the meeting.

• Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov has conferred the highest Bulgarian state honour, the Order of the Balkan Range, First Class, on the first democratically elected president of the Republic of South Africa and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Nelson Mandela. The honour is conferred for Mandela's remarkable international activity in defence of human rights and freedoms and on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

• We do not table offers and lay down conditions; we talk about principles. That is why Order, Law and Justice /OLJ/ will continue to follow its principles and will give its ten votes in favor of the government of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria /CEDB/, OLJ Chairman Yane Yanev told at a press conference.

• Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria /CEDB/ leader Boyko Borisov has asked Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev to get ready to hand over his office. Speaking with journalists, Borisov said:
“I would like to ask the prime minister, since appointments of ambassadors and consuls are planned for Thursday and in order to avoid his talking about revanchism, to get ready only to hand over the office on Thursday,”