Tensions in Coalition Gov't after Bulgaria Justice Min's Resignation

The two main partners in Bulgaria´s minority government will not agree on a single nomination to take over as Justice Minister, as Hristo Ivanov resigned after Parliament voted to approve a reform package for the judiciary system.

Tsveta Karayancheva, an MP from the main ruling GERB party, told reporters on Thursday her party would put forward its own candidate.

This comes after Interior Minister and Deputy PM for coalition policy, Rumyana Bachvarova, explained on Wednesday it would be left to junior coalition partner Reformist Bloc (RB) to pick a successor to Ivanov, the latter having been appointed as part of the RB quota last year.

However, Dnevnik.bg quotes GERB sources as saying Meglena Kuneva, a Deputy PM who co-chairs the RB, was willing to try her chances. Earlier RB lawmakers did not rule out a scenario in which Kuneva´s nomination could be officially proposed.

Karayancheva said GERB would have its own candidate, but the final decision was in the hands of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Separately, parties forming the RB are yet to come up with a common position on the move of two MPs to withdraw its support from the government.

Radan Kanev, who heads the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB, one of RB's core parties) and co-chairs the RB's group in Parliament, and MP Grozdan Karadzhov, announced Wednesday they would not back the minority cabinet anymore in protest over what they describe as "failure" of the judicial reform.

Kanev and Karadzhov made clear they would quit neither the RB nor parliament, declaring themselves part of the opposition to GERB.

The RB, however, sent out a press statement on Wednesday evening to distance itself from their words, saying it did not reflect any common position.

Another RB party, the Union of Democratic Forces, is hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the latest developments.