SOFIA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's GERB-UDF coalition, the largest political force in the newly elected parliament, proposed the structure and composition of a new government immediately after receiving an exploratory mandate.
Rosen Zhelyazkov, GERB-UDF's nominee for prime minister, proposed the new government moments after President Rumen Radev handed him the mandate. Despite having seven days to propose a government as stipulated by the Bulgarian Constitution, Zhelyazkov, whose coalition holds 68 seats in the 240-member parliament, acted promptly.
Radev will submit the proposal to the parliament, where it needs to be approved by legislators in a simple majority vote.
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms, the second-largest force in the parliament with 46 seats, has declared support for GERB-UDF.
If the largest political force in parliament fails to form a government, the president will task the second-largest group with nominating a prime minister-designate. If they also fail, the president will then turn to a minor parliamentary group. If no government is formed, new parliamentary elections will be scheduled.
Bulgaria's parliamentary elections were held on June 9, after Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov resigned on March 5, and the subsequent failure of the legislature to form a new government. ■
