Sofia, Bulgaria: Hundreds of Bulgarians gathered outside the building of the National Assembly, protesting against the removal of the Parliament speaker, Nikola Minchev, on June 16. People gathered to show their support for the WCC Bulgarian ex-speaker.
The strike was joined by the speaker himself, along with the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Kiril Petkov, Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev, other MPs and ministers while chanting “Nikola” in his support.
Thanking Bulgarians for the support they showed for him and asserted, “We will not give up; it hasn’t even crossed our minds,” he said. The next time I am in the position to hold voting in the building behind me, I will not be afraid of the outcome but will remain confident that I am backed by a stable majority that will only work for Bulgaria”.
Meanwhile, addressing the public, prime minister Petkov said, “The change is here; they can’t bring us back”. The statement comes as PM Petkov appeals to the general public not to get upset from the forthcoming “no-confidence motion”.
Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Kornelia Ninova, during her address, thanked the support provided by them for Minchev. She stated, “Never give up; we will succeed together”.
The protest also turned a bit violent when protestors started throwing bottles and objects at the leader of the ‘There Is Such a People Floor’, Toshko Yordanov, as he tried to converse with the angry Bulgarians.
The strikers earlier gathered outside the parliament during the daytime, when the destiny of Minchev was being discussed.
While getting the news of his dismissal in the parliament, Minchev cited, “In such a parliament, maybe it would be better if I am not a speaker. There is now a new majority in the parliament. I entered politics and the national assembly with the desire for a change of a model that has been ruling until this moment. The newly-forming majority not only does not bring a difference but will preserve the previous model“.