3rd mandate for forming government in Bulgaria handed to BSP

ANKARA

A third and final mandate for forming a government in Bulgaria was handed to the parliamentary group of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the local press reported Monday.

President Rumen Radev handed the mandate to the BSP, which was represented by its parliamentary group chairman Georgi Svilenski, said the state-run news agency BTA.

Radev said he believes the goals that unite the left wing -- namely peace, justice, solidarity and freedom -- are values which each Bulgarian government should aspire to.

Svilenski, for his part, asserted that the party’s parliamentary group will make every effort to form a regular government.

“We hope that all political groups will act responsibly,” he added.

The handing of the Cabinet-forming mandate is part of a constitutional procedure triggered by a June 22 vote of no confidence in the coalition government of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. As part of the procedure, the president has to hand up to three exploratory mandates to parliamentary forces.

After the first mandate holder, the Continue the Change Party, returned the mandate after not being able to form a government on July 8 and the GERB-UDF coalition refused the mandate upon receiving it on July 14, now it is up to the BSP to try to form a government within the life of the current parliament.

If the BSP returns the third mandate unfulfilled, the constitution obligates that the president must appoint a caretaker government, disband the parliament, and schedule snap elections.