July 8 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's centre-right We Continue the Change (WCC) party will not propose a new government and will return the exploratory mandate to the president, PM-designate Assen Vassilev said on Friday.
This decision is being made because WCC does not have the backing of 121 MPs in the national assembly, Vassilev told a live-streamed news briefing. As many as 117 MPs have pledged their support for WCC, he added.
Earlier this week, outgoing prime minister and party leader Kiril Petkov said that WCC will not propose a new government if it fails to win the support of an absolute majority in Bulgaria's 240-seat parliament.
WCC nominated Vassilev for prime minister last Friday when president Rumen Radev mandated the party to form a new government.
The government of Petkov, which ruled in coalition with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and anti-status quo party Democratic Bulgaria for six months, lost a no-confidence vote in June after populist formation There Is Such a People (TISP) withdrew its ministers from the government and left the coalition.
Under the country's constitution, the president must ask GERB, the party with the second-largest parliamentary group, to try to put together a new cabinet. GERB, however, intends to return the mandate as well, local media reported.
In this case, the president will pass the mandate to a third political formation of his choice.
Should the nominated party fail to receive parliamentary backing for a new government, the president will appoint a caretaker cabinet and call snap general elections.