Unstable Government Worse Scenario than New Elections: Think Tank

Sofia, October 20 (BTA) - Bulgaria will be faced with a bigger
risk if it has an unstable government than if it opts for fresh
early elections in January-February 2015, the Institute for
Rightist Policy (IRP) said at a news conference Sunday hosted by
BTA's National Press Club. The think tank presented an analysis
alter the October 5 early parliamentary elections.

The IRP argued that the formation of a government should be
preceded by total consensus on the priorities of the future
governance and ensured stable parliamentary support, which,
however, should not include the left-wing parties and the
parties who supported the Plamen Oresharski cabinet of the past
year.

IRP Chairman Peter Nikolov argued that a cabinet formed at the
moment could very well become not a cabinet of stability and
reforms but one of timelessness and compromise.

Toma Bikov said that new early elections in January-February
2015 are not the worst-case scenario. "The worst-case scenario
is a government that creates the impression it could fall any
time," Bikov said, adding that it is wrong to assume that the
October 5 election results will be repeated in a new poll.
According to Bikov, IRP analyses show that at least three
parties in the just formed 43rd National Assembly will drop out
from a new parliament. He said that new early elections would
stabilize the political situation and consolidate the two major
blocs, the rightist and the leftist. "At the background of an
eight-party Parliament, it is practically impossible to have a
cabinet carrying out hard reforms," Bikov said.

He also said that the main problem now is the impossibility of
Parliament to produce a government. This is the second such
Parliament in Bulgaria's history. The issue of producing a
government is becoming harder still and could be solved in two
ways, according to Bikov. One is having a voting system with an
increased majoritarian element, while the second option is more
radical, holding a debate to amend the Constitution and shifting
to presidential governance.

The IRP argued that before disbanding the new National Assembly
- if such a development occurs - the MPs should pass the budget
update and also amendments to the Election Code replacing the
currently used d'Hondt method for the distribution of seats.

Source: Sofia