US embassy cable - 05SOFIA1339

UNCLAS SOFIA 001339 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, BU 
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: OPPOSITION WALKOUT BLOCKS VOTE ON 
SOCIALIST-LED MINORITY GOVERNMENT 
 
Ref: (A) SOFIA 1036, (B) SOFIA 1325, (C) SOFIA 1329 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  A coordinated walkout by every member of 
the opposition to Bulgaria's proposed Socialist-led 
government forced parliament to adjourn July 26 without 
voting on the new cabinet.  While the Socialists and their 
junior coalition partner may still be in the race, their 
odds are significantly worse than they were yesterday. The 
BSP leadership and even President Purvanov were visibly 
shaken by the unexpectedly vociferous and united opposition 
to the proposed Socialist government.  A new session to vote 
on the cabinet is scheduled for July 27 at 09:00 a.m. 
Judging by today's events, if the Socialist-led coalition 
does manage to squeak into government, it will have to fight 
hard for every vote in the legislative battles to come. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and its junior 
coalition partner, the mainly ethnic-Turkish Movement for 
Rights and Freedoms (MRF), with only 116 MPs in the 240-seat 
parliament, are facing an unexpectedly difficult time 
garnering support for their proposed cabinet (Refs B, C). 
The Socialists, who unveiled the government line-up July 24, 
planned to request an anonymous vote in order to win support 
from individual MPs from other parties.  However, the 
opposition -- outgoing PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg's party, three 
center-right groups and extreme nationalist party Ataka -- 
raised numerous procedural objections before finally 
abandoning the plenary hall.  MPs from the BSP/MRF were thus 
left without the quorum needed to continue the session. 
 
 
3. (SBU) The opposition said it walked out to protest the 
procedural moves of Parliament Speaker Georgi Pirinski, and 
they demanded his resignation.  However, their unexpectedly 
united front today may have reinvigorated their 
determination to block the formation of this government at 
any cost. 
 
4, (SBU) COMMENT.  If the Socialists fail to win the July 27 
vote, President Purvanov will ask Simeon's party, as the 
second biggest group in parliament, to form a government 
(Ref A). If this attempt fails, Bulgaria may face early 
elections, an outcome all parties agree would be a threat to 
the country's on-time EU accession.  Early elections might 
also allow the extreme nationalist Ataka party to build on 
its current momentum.  The Socialists will be undoubtedly 
highlight both threats before tomorrow's vote.