President Iotova grants mandate to Andrey Gyurov to form caretaker cabinet

President Iliana Iotova has tasked Bulgarian National Bank Deputy Governor Andrey Gyurov with forming a caretaker cabinet. The future caretaker prime minister is required to submit a cabinet lineup to the head of state within one week for her approval.

• President nominates Andrey Gyurov as caretaker prime minister

''I am granting you this mandate to form a caretaker government. The expectations placed upon you are extremely high. We want honest, transparent, and well-organized parliamentary elections”, President Iotova said. ''We expect you to safeguard every vote, because the right to vote is among the most fundamental rights achieved in human history. We expect the elections to be conducted in accordance with the rules, the Constitution, and the laws of Bulgaria, in order to ensure a stable, lawful, and secure state. The urgent and adequate resolution of all these issues will depend on the shared responsibility between the executive branch and the National Assembly'', concluded Iliana Iotova.

• First reactions to Andrey Gyurov being nominated as caretaker PM

''The situation is not normal. Nobody trusts anyone. You are giving me your trust, and I accept it. I will approach this with prudence and responsibility'', Andrey Gyurov responded. He promised to form a team of people ''who will be guided not by political positions, but by character, expertise and decency.''

The caretaker government is appointed by presidential decree. Its formation will also determine when elections for the 52nd National Assembly will take place.

If the cabinet lineup is presented within the required timeframe, the government formation decree will be issued on February 19, allowing early elections to take place on April 19, Bulgaria’s head of state announced.

Later, at a press conference, President Iliana Iotova stated that she has the right to return the proposed cabinet lineup list if she sees any member who might act against the interests of Bulgarian citizens. “I am deeply convinced it will not come to that”, added President Iotova.

Iliana Iotova urged the caretaker government to take “immediate measures to control prices, stabilize state finances, regulate electricity prices, provide rapid support to the most vulnerable and resolve the ‘Petrohan’ case.” President Iotova also said that she will not bear responsibility for the cabinet but will serve as its corrective, and that she will open the doors of the presidency to reports of irregularities during the election preparations and on election day.

Edited by Diana Tsankova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov