Bulgaria’s “We Continue the Change” Calls for Resignations After Parliament Speaker Vote
“We continue the change” has demanded the resignations of two of its own deputies, Daniel Laurer and Silvi Kirilov Unite Parties?”>Yavor Bozhankov, following their decision to block the election of Silvi Kirilov as Speaker of the National Assembly today.
Divided Loyalties
“We had many and long discussions in the parliamentary group. A few days ago we informed Yavor and Daniel that if their votes are decisive for the election of the president and they block it, then we will have no choice but to ask for their resignations, because this determines where Bulgaria is moving and is contrary to the party’s beliefs.” explained Kiril Petkov, co-chairman of “We continue the change”.
“Before their votes became decisive for whether the parliament would work, I personally defended them as members of the group from the rostrum. That would have continued if the fate of the whole parliament, the battle against Sarafov and the budget vote did not depend precisely on these two voices,” he added.
“Both of them can make independent decisions with this prior knowledge, as well as the party can decide according to our common beliefs what is best for Bulgaria. The decisions of both of them were based on this knowledge,” Petkov commented.
“I respect and understand their position, but the party has a responsibility to hundreds of thousands of voters to choose a path for Bulgaria that is different from what happened today. From our point of view, this choice is particularly important because of Peevski’s power and Sarafov’s chances to be elected.”
“Tomorrow we are going to make changes to the law on the judicial power, which will stop the election of Sarafov, as well as to the law on the audit chamber in order to transparently fill.t out the house book. That is why it is important for the parliament to work,” Petkov explained.
Prioritizing Party Principles
“We have a duty greater than personal bias, which we will uphold even in difficult decisions. Our cause is more important than any of us.”
“It was an honor to work with both of them, but the executive board’s decision is final.
This seventh attempt to elect a Speaker of the National Assembly saw Laurer and Bozhankov withhold their votes from Silvi Kirilov, the ITN candidate. Kirilov needed exactly one vote to reach the necessary 119 to be elected in the first round. In the subsequent runoff against Raya Nazaryan from GERB, support for Kirilov decreased by two votes.
What are the larger implications of this internal fracturing for broader Bulgarian politics and coalition building?
## Divided in Parliament: Interview with Political Analyst
**Host:** Joining us today to discuss the developing political drama in Bulgaria is political analyst Dr. Elena Petrova. Dr. Petrova, “We Continue the Change,” a leading Bulgarian political party, has just demanded the resignations of two of its own MPs. What led to this dramatic move?
**Dr. Petrova:** This surprising turn of events stemmed from the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly. “We Continue the Change” nominated Silvi Kirilov for the position. However, two MPs from the party, Daniel Lorer and Yavor Bozhankov, ultimately blocked her election. This created a major rift within the party. [[1](https://www.bta.bg/en/news/bulgaria/789885-continue-the-change-demands-resignations-of-mps-daniel-lorer-yavor-bozhankov)]
**Host:** So, essentially, these two MPs defied their own party? Why would they do that?
**Dr. Petrova:** The exact reasons behind their actions aren’t entirely clear yet. However, it seems that their decision might be based on differing views regarding the direction the country should take. There are speculations that they might be aligning themselves with other political factions within the parliament.
**Host:** The party stated that this decision was “contrary to the party’s beliefs.” How significant is this for ”We Continue the Change” and Bulgarian politics as a whole?
**Dr. Petrova:** This internal division within “We Continue the Change” is a significant development. It raises questions about the party’s stability and unity moving forward. Moreover, it highlights the deep political polarization and potential for fractured alliances within the Bulgarian parliament. This could make forming a stable government and enacting meaningful legislation even more challenging in the future.
**Host:** Dr. Petrova, thank you for shedding light on this unfolding political situation in Bulgaria. We will certainly be watching closely to see how this situation develops.
