Bulgarian Parliament Approves Changes In Cabinet Of Ministers Amid Protests - Reports

Bulgarian Parliament Approves Changes in Cabinet of Ministers Amid Protests - Reports

Bulgaria's National Assembly, during a Friday session, approved changes to the cabinet of ministers headed by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov amid the ongoing anti-government protests, media have reported

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th July, 2020) Bulgaria's National Assembly, during a Friday session, approved changes to the cabinet of ministers headed by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov amid the ongoing anti-government protests, media have reported.

On Thursday, Borissov said that Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, Interior Minister Mladen Marinov. Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov and Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova have resigned. The prime minister also added that Kiril Ananiev, who has served the health minister, will become the finance minister, while Hristo Terziyski, the former head of the national police directorate, is to lead the Interior Ministry. Moreover, Deputy Prime Minister Mariana Nikolova will become the tourism minister, while Kostadin Angelov, who has headed the Sofia-based Alexandrovska Hospital, is going to become the health minister.

According to the Bulgarian Focus news agency, 116 lawmakers supported the cabinet reshuffle, while 89 opposed it. The parliament accepted the resignations of four ministers and the list of new appointees remained unchanged.

Anti-government protests in Bulgaria, mainly in its capital of Sofia, have been ongoing for several weeks, with demonstrators calling for the resignation of Borissov and his entire government, which is accused of having links to criminal groups. Notably, the rallies have not stopped following the prime minister's announcement on changes in the government on Thursday. Some of the protesters are siding with President Rumen Radev, who said that he has lost confidence in the current government due to its failure to tackle corruption and enact major reforms. The president, a vocal critic of Borissov's government, has been accusing the prime minister of having ties with oligarchs.

The protests were triggered by the raid of Radev's office in early June and the detention of two presidential advisers for questioning. The president then called on the government and Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev to resign. A vote of no-confidence has been filed against the government, but the parliament rejected it.