Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Bulgarian govt. set to resign amid protests

SOFIA -- Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov and cabinet ministers have announced they will resign at noon amid mass protests in the country.
(Beta/AP)
(Beta/AP)
“We have dignity and honor. It is the people who put us in power and we give it back to them today," Borisov stressed.
He added that he would not take part in the caretaker government.

“I will not be a part of the government under which the police are beating up people,” the prime minister said,

According to Bulgarian BTA news agency, Borisov would offer the resignation after the government’s meeting at noon.

Borisov’s ruling party, that won the 2009 elections, is losing support due to poor economic situation, the worst in the last ten years.

Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov believes that Borisov has shows that he is a “true statesman”, novinite.com has reported.

Bulgarian MPs were supposed to discuss a reshuffle of the government proposed by Borisov and resignation of Deputy PM Simeon Djankov. However, Reuters has reported that there will be no reshuffle and that the current government will step down.

The resignation will follow after eight days of protests of several thousands of citizens across Bulgaria over the electricity price and January bills.

“We did our best yesterday to respond to the protesters’ demands. We cannot do anything else as of today to help the protesters,” Borisov told parliament.

Borisov has said the electricity distribution license of central Europe's largest listed company, Czech-based CEZ will be revoked, setting Bulgarian on a collision course with the Czech Republic, which owns 70 percent of the company.

Reuters reports that 25 people were injured during last night’s protests in Sofia.

The Interior Ministry has released that 11 people were arrested on Tuesday night in the capital.

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