SOFIA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- GERB-UDF, the largest political formation in the Bulgarian parliament, on Monday declined the president's mandate to form a new government, paving the way for another round of early parliamentary elections.
The announcement was made during a ceremony at which Bulgarian President Rumen Radev handed the exploratory mandate to Rosen Zhelyazkov, GERB-UDF's nominee for prime minister.
Zhelyazkov, whose coalition holds 66 seats in the 240-seat legislature, has led Bulgaria's coalition government since January last year. The government resigned in December amid large-scale protests over the ruling majority's economic policies, but has remained in office as a caretaker until either elections or the appointment of a new Council of Ministers.
Under the Bulgarian Constitution, the president is now required to mandate a prime minister-designate nominated by the second-largest parliamentary group to attempt to form a government. Should that effort fail, a third mandate will be given to a nominee from one of the remaining parliamentary groups.
If all three attempts fail to form a new cabinet, Radev shall appoint a caretaker cabinet and call new parliamentary elections within two months.
Speaking at the ceremony on Monday, Zhelyazkov said many political parties believed new legitimacy could only be achieved through early parliamentary elections, adding that they should be scheduled as soon as possible.
"We believe that March 29 is a good date for holding the elections," Zhelyazkov told Radev at the ceremony, which was open to reporters.
"From here on, we move on to handing over a mandate to the second-largest parliamentary group," Radev said in turn. "This will happen in the coming days, and I hope we will have a good pace so that we don't really delay the election process."
Zhelyazkov's government was sworn in on Jan. 16, 2025, after snap elections in October 2024 - the seventh parliamentary election in Bulgaria in three and a half years. ■