WORLD
Bulgarian parliament chair resigns
Baku, November 17, AZERTAC
National Assembly Chair Dimiter Glavchev resigned on Friday after political clashes between the powerholders and the opposition in Parliament earlier in the week. Glavchev's post was taken over by Tsveta Karayancheva (GERB), who was elected National Assembly Chair by a vote of 138-3, with 71 abstentions, and sworn in later on Friday, according to Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.
Wednesday's clashes in the National Assembly which led to Glavchev's resignation started when Socialist leader Kornelia Ninova asked Prime Minister Boyko Borissov to come to Parliament to clarify his allegation of a few days ago that there are people in Parliament involved in drug trafficking. The majority turned down this motion and Ninova took the floor to read a declaration, but the National Assembly Chair ordered her out for insulting the MPs and the Prime Minister. When the Socialist MPs started shouting "Resign! Resign!" and banging on the desks, Glavchev suspended Anton Koutev (BSP for Bulgaria) for two sittings. Then the BSP deputies walked out and started to collect signatures for Glavchev's removal from office.
After resigning on Friday, Glavchev said he had not been pressured by Prime Minister Borissov to do so. Glavchev said he was considering leaving the National Assembly altogether because he "cannot sit in the same chamber with the BSP," but he was adamant that he had not violated the legislature's procedural rules.