Parliament Released Zhablyanov from the post of Deputy Speaker

The majority in Bulagria’s Parliament released the socialist party MP Valeri Zhablyanov from the post of Deputy Speaker on 21^st of February. The decision was taken with 110 votes in favour and 71 against. GERB, United Patriots and Volya party voted in favour of Zhablyanov's resignation, "BBulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) were against, and Movement for rights and Freedoms MRF did not participate in the vote. The BSP said they would refer the case to the Constitutional Court.

The majority partner in the government coalition, GERB, demanded that Zhablyanov step down as Deputy Speaker because of a statement he made that the People's Court was an inevitable and necessary wartime justice. (Post-Second World War Communist “People’s Court” issued death sentences to about 2,600 people and it also sentenced thousands to life-time and long-term of imprisonment. Those executed or imprisoned included members of the government and Parliament of wartime Bulgaria.)

GERB also pointed out other motives to demand Zhablyanov’s resignation including his statement against the treaty with Macedonia and his conduct during a minute’s silence held in memory of the victims of the communist regime. BSP said there were no lawful grounds for asking Zhablyanov's resignation. He described GERB motives as "ridiculous".

Danail Kirilov, Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs, GERB: We were grossly outraged by the statement in the declaration against the conduct of Lukov March (held in honour of a pro-Nazi Bulgarian general and political leader), as the authorship of this declaration proved to be related to Mr Zhablyanov’s statement that the People's Court was a necessary and inevitable wartime justice. We believe that such statement concerns the assessment of our democratic society. This discredits the Bulgarian Parliament.

Valery Zhablianov, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, BSP for Bulgaria: The motives presented by Mr. Kirilov, signed by Mr. Tsvetan Tsvetanov, are a model of political arbitrariness, factual weakness and political helplessness.

expression “wooden communist head" is swearing, I apologise. However, my father was in Belene (forced labour camp in Communist Bulgaria) for 22 months, convicted by Jablyanov's grandfather or father or uncle and those of you like you.

Kornelia Ninova, Chair of BSP PG: This is a revenge for the resignation of Glavchev as Speaker, which was deserved because of violation of basic principles of the Constitution and the rule of law. If you vote today on Valeriy Zhablyanov's resignation, you will be referred to the Constitutional Court, to the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg and get the 8th conviction.

Dimitar Glavchev, MP from GERB: Have some shame, Mrs. Ninova. How can you compare yourself, who was removed from the hall under the Rules of Organization of the National Assembly, with 9,155 convictions issued unlawfully.

Yordan Tsonev, Deputy Chair of the MRF PG: We at MRF think that GERB does not have the moral reason to want this resignation today. You do not have lawful grounds too.

Alexander Sidi, MP from the Patriotic Front: Since the BSP does not diffentiate from Zhablyanov's statements, it means that in fact the BSP considers commitment of political assassinations as a norm.

Vesselin Mareshki, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, "Volya" party: We will support the resignation.

Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Chair of GERB PG: Mr. Mareshki, I want to thank you, because you do not succumb to the provocations of the BSP and the threats - as far as I can see today, they are addressed to you or to a group of MPs from "Volya" that if they support the resignation of Valeri Zhablyanov, they threatened to ask for his resignation. I can tell you that we will not succumb to their provocation.

The BSP will not offer another MP from the left-wing to replace Zhablyanov as deputy speaker of the National Assembly and hope that he will be reinstated after the Constitutional Court has ruled.