Bulgarian Press Review July 9, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, July 9 (BTA)

HOME SCENE

"Troud" reports that 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 and future prime minister Boiko Borissov. Borissov and Tsvetanov visited the prosecution service to declare their 100 per cent support. GERB leader said that within six months the new government should prove to Brussels that it is up to this country to restore confidence and to return the money from the
European funds to Bulgaria. Within the same time limit, the prosecuting magistracy should do so as to stop the criticisms against the judicial system and everyone who has committed, commits or would commit a crime should be investigated without there being any 'umbrellas.'

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According to "Troud", GERB informal Leader Boiko Borissov warned on Wednesday Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev that the Council of Ministers should not make any decision at its regular meeting on Thursday and should just get ready to transfer the power. "I understand that at its meeting on Thursday the Government has prepared the appointment of ambassadors and consuls general, but I would ask them to refrain and to prepare to hand over power," Borissov said.

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"Monitor" carries an interview with Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Plougchieva, who says that closing the position of a deputy prime minister in charge of European funds will be dangerous for the further absorption of the EU funds, if the model of their management is not changed, so that to be simplified and the coordination to be strengthened. So far, the European Commission directed the whole correspondence to the deputy minister and expected the coordination and the control of the implementation to be performed by her. Now practically, the national level counterpart of the European Commission will be dropped, Plougchieva adds.

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The leader of the Order, Lawfulness and Justice (OJL) party Yane Yanev will alert Prosecutor General Boris Velchev about violations of the electoral law by the Foreign Ministry and the members of the sectional electoral commissions (SEC) in Turkey, says "Troud". According to OJL data, between 1,200 and 1,600 voted in each section in Turkey, which is practically impossible. Besides that, about 40 per cent of the voters were added to the lists. An enormous part of these people had not been in Turkey on the day of the elections at all, according to OJL.


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"I am not fighting to become a leader and I do not want the resignation of [BSP leader] Sergei [Stanishev], leader of Sofia Chapter of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Roumen Ovcharov tells "24 Chassa" in an interview. According to him, it is up to Stanishev to decide whether to hand in his resignation. He will find the right way to take over the political responsibility. The withdrawal of the whole Executive Bureau is not a solution, however it needs some changes, Ovcharov adds.

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"Troud" reports that the hospitals have a total debt of 372 million leva. These data were obtained exclusively by the daily from the Health Ministry on Wednesday. This debt means that the funds for hospital care will be over soon. If the big reserve of the National Health Insurance Fund is not unblocked, the doctors will have to return patients. The debts of the hospitals numbered 250 million leva when the three-party coalition came in force.


ECONOMY

Bulgarian Chamber of Construction Chairman Simeon Peshov tells "Troud" in an interview that the tenders for motorways should be launched quickly. According to him, the onstruction could start in February or March already, Brussels agrees to such a schedule, and the ulgarian Public Procurement Act allows for the parallel updating of the environmental impact ssessment reports and the tenders. According to Peshov, the government should launch immediately the tenders for Trakia and Maritsa motorways. According to his information, the tender documents for them have already been prepared by the National Road Infrastructure Agency and expect approval from Brussels only.

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According to "Standart News", Bulgaria will apply to be accepted in the "waiting room" of the Euro Zone, the European Exchange Rate Mechanism - 2 (ERM-2) in November, probable new finance minister of Bulgaria and Chief Economist with the World Bank Simeon Dyankov says. Bulgaria will preserve the currency board until entering the Euro Zone. According to Dyankov, the devaluation of the Bulgarian lev against the euro as a response to the crisis is not on the agenda at all.


BULGARIA - EUROPEAN UNION

"Troud" carries an interview with MEP Roumyana Zheleva entitled: "European Commissioner for Enlargement? Why Not? Zheleva points out that a Bulgarian European Commissioner will feel comfortable in many areas, which are important for Bulgaria. She personally was very active at the European Parliament's regional development committee. She has also worked on the EU enlargement. It is not unrealistic Bulgaria to expect an invitation for one of the two sectors. However, only the Bulgarian Prime Minister could decide who would be proposed for a commissioner and this will be GERB leader Boiko Borissov.






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 9, 2009

• The Council of Ministers Thursday decided to confer national project status on the following gas pipeline projects within Bulgarian territory: the Komotini- Dimitrovgrad-Stara Zagora gas pipeline section (Greece-Bulgaria system interconnection), the Rousse-Giurgiu gas pipeline; the high-pressure gas pipeline branch and an automatic pressure reduction station near Silistra; the high-pressure gas pipelines and an automatic pressure reduction station from the Chiren underground gas storage to Kozloduy and from Kozloduy to Oryahovo, as an extension of a transit gas pipeline to Turkey between the Lozenets compressor station and the Nedyalsko gas purification facility.

• The new government will not have quotas for the separate parties, Democrats for Strong Bulgaria Chairman and Blue Coalition Co-Chairman Ivan Kostov said in a bTV interview on Thursday. Kostov commented on talks with the election-winning GERB party for joint action in Parliament and in the executive. The Blue Coalition has not set any conditions. "We have not demanded this and this, and this ministry," Kostov said, adding that the prestige of the executive branch of power cannot be restored if the people see bargaining as soon as at the time of its formation.

• A second case of swine flu, caused by the A (H1N1) virus, was confirmed in Veliko Turnovo, according to Dr Marieta Alexieva, head of the Epidemics Control Department with Veliko Turnovo's Regional Inspectorate for Public Health Prevention and Control. This brings the number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Bulgaria to 14.