AFTER a series of dramatic events this past week, among them the failure of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)-led Coalition for Bulgaria to pass their Cabinet through Parliament, the future of the Government is still unclear.
After National Movement Simeon II’s (NMSII) deputy leader Plamen Panayotov suggested that his party might offer Coalition for Bulgaria the prime ministerial seat, since it received the most votes in the election, the BSP sent the party a letter. 
The letter includes 12 questions and demands an urgent reply signed by the party’s leader, outgoing Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg.
In the letter, the BSP asked whether the NMSII would approve anyone nominated by the BSP as Prime Minister. If so, the letter also asked, how much political responsibility was the NMSII prepared to take for the new Government’s performance?
The BSP also asked how long the NMSII was planning to negotiate with other political entities on forming the new Cabinet.
The letter asked the NMSII leadership how it viewed the spread of ethnic and religious hatred and xenophobia and whether it was considering including the Ataka coalition in a possible parliamentary majority under the NMSII or in a possible NMSII government.
The BSP also wanted to know what the NMSII thought about vocal demands to review some of the privatisation, concession and restitution agreements concluded under the outgoing NMSII Government. It also asked the party’s leaders to explain the many personnel changes in the State administration and some transactions that it had carried out since the June 25 parliamentary elections.
In an interview with bTV, BSP MP Kostadin Paskalev said that the letter resulted from his party’s desire to know why the NMSII was carrying out negotiations. 
At the same time, BSP coalition partner, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), said that it would not break its coalition agreement, while the NMSII said that it could not abide a Government involving the MRF.
“The country has never been so close to early elections as it is today,” said Yunal Lyutvi of the MRF.
The United Democratic Forces (UtDF) leader Nadezhda Mihailova emerged from the first round of talks with the NMSII and said that there was a possibility for the formation of a cenre-right Cabinet.
“It is not acceptable for UtDF to participate in a Cabinet together with the BSP,” she said.
The Ataka coalition said that it would not enter the Government but might support it if it did not involve the participation of the MRF.
Against the background of uncertainty and letter-writing, the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria announced on August 3 that they were withdrawing from coalition negotiations with the NMSII.
“We will renew consultations with the NMSII after the BSP is excluded from them,” said DSB deputy leader Vesselin Metodiev.
“DSB sees two outcomes of the situation: an expert Cabinet, or a right-of-centre Cabinet. If the NMSII fails to utilise the second mandate this implies that the BSP and the MRF will form a Cabinet on the third mandate.”
In an interview with Bulgarian National Television on August 3, when the deadline for replying to the letter was about to expire, the NMSII secretary Vesselin Bliznakov said that the BSP letter was meant to hinder the NMSII from forming a Cabinet. 
“The NMSII will summarise what has been achieved and will renew consultations on August 4,” the NMSII floor leader Anelia Mingova said.
“The BSP letter would also feature on the August 3 agenda of the NMSII political leadership. The answer would be adequately tolerant, expedient and firm.”
Mingova said it would become clear whether the NMSII would use the mandate by the end of the week.
On the evening of August 3, NMSII leader Saxe-Coburg sent his reply to the BSP, saying that the two parties had the potential and possibility to create a majority, which would quickly and efficiently co-operate in the realisation of national priorities.
Saxe-Coburg said that if there was a misunderstanding between the two parties, the NMSII was ready to have a clear and open debate, in spite of the fact that answers to many of the questions the BSP posed lay in the results of his party’s successful four-year rule.
Saxe-Coburg also invited the BSP leadership and the political council of the Coalition for Bulgaria to talks on August 4 at 3 pm to discuss the BSP letter.