The Bulgarian Parliament voted down on Wednesday the no-confidence motion proposed by the right-wing opposition United Democratic Forces (UtDF) against the Government of Simeon Saxe-Coburg .
Fifty MPs supported the no-confidence vote, 134 were against and 45 abstained. The reason for the UtDF’s move to ask for the vote was the chaos created by the Government’s medicine prices’ policy.
The MPs voted openly after a proposal by a Bulgarian Social-ist Party MP for a secret ballot was rejected. The ruling Nation-al Movement Simeon II (NMSII) argued the people should see how the National Assembly votes.
In an address to Parliament after the vote, Saxe-Coburg said that 2002 was a crucial year for Bulgaria’s foreign political priorities – accession to NATO and the European Union and completion of the reforms in the country. The prime minister said that political will, joint efforts and foresight were needed to reach these goals.
According to Saxe-Coburg, the debates on the no-confidence vote showed lack of specific arguments against the introduction of VAT on medicines. The goal of the Cabinet was to guarantee accessible, efficient and high quality health care, a balance between the interests of the state, producers, traders and consumers of medicines, the prime minister said.
The efforts of the Cabinet were aimed at helping those in greatest need - the socially disadvantaged and pensioners - with the introduction of financial discipline and accountability, reducing the number of tax evaders to a minimum and equal treatment of economic agents, he said.
The no-confidence vote by the UtDF was designed to consolidate the opposition, and, if possible, dispel the hope for which the majority of Bulgarians voted in the latest parliamentary elections, Hassan Ademov, MP from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), said.
Ademov added that amendments should be made to the Consumer Protection Act and to the Medicines and Pharmacies Act to put an end to the speculative behaviour of some agents in the medicines market. Control over, and transparency in, the distribution of free or partially payable medicines should be increased to protect the interests of the socially disadvantaged.
Following the vote, the UtDF expect resignations of ministers personally responsible for the chaos with medicines because this is what the people want, UtDF floor leader Nadezhda Mihailova later told reporters. According to her, Saxe-Coburg should name these ministers because he was responsible for the Government’s policies.
Mihailova explained that UtDF leaders were talking to the press and not in the plenary chamber because the debate on Friday convinced them of the lack of communication with the incumbents. The no-confidence vote motion moved by the UtDF achieved its goal by making it clear who supports the Cabinet in its medicine pricing policies which caused chaos in the medicines market, she said. Accord-ing to her, the vote clearly showed the responsibility of the political forces and of the Government.
The Coalition for Bulgaria (CfB) MPs abstained from voting because the coalition was interested in finding a solution to the problem and not in pointless confrontation, CfB deputy floor leader Rumen Ovcharov said. In his view, Saxe-Coburg’s statement in Parliament showed he has learned nothing from this no-confidence vote.
The prime minister did not give his assessment of the current situation in the country and did not say the Government’s policies will be rectified in any way, Ovcharov said. CfB wanted to see clear signs from the Government that it was changing its policies, he said.
Last Friday, Parliament de-bated for six hours the no-confidence motion, which was the first to be voted by the 39th National Assembly.
The opposition accused the Government of incompetent and inadequate decisions, the most blatant of which they believed was the introduction of VAT on medicines. The Government had no programme or plan to deal with the grave consequences of this unwise decision which concerned the Bulgarian citizens and the country’s pharmaceutical industry, Mihailova said on Friday.
During the debate, Finance Minister Milen Velchev said that the Cabinet’s tax policy was fully aligned with EU standards. “The no-confidence motion is only part of an organised manipulation to destabilise the country, an organised campaign initiated by economic interests, which our Cabinet does not wish to, and will not, serve,” said Velchev.
At the end of the debate, Saxe-Coburg said that this Parliament had not exhausted all possibilities for reaching consensus on building a modern European-like health care system.
Fifty MPs supported the no-confidence vote, 134 were against and 45 abstained. The reason for the UtDF’s move to ask for the vote was the chaos created by the Government’s medicine prices’ policy.
The MPs voted openly after a proposal by a Bulgarian Social-ist Party MP for a secret ballot was rejected. The ruling Nation-al Movement Simeon II (NMSII) argued the people should see how the National Assembly votes.
In an address to Parliament after the vote, Saxe-Coburg said that 2002 was a crucial year for Bulgaria’s foreign political priorities – accession to NATO and the European Union and completion of the reforms in the country. The prime minister said that political will, joint efforts and foresight were needed to reach these goals.
According to Saxe-Coburg, the debates on the no-confidence vote showed lack of specific arguments against the introduction of VAT on medicines. The goal of the Cabinet was to guarantee accessible, efficient and high quality health care, a balance between the interests of the state, producers, traders and consumers of medicines, the prime minister said.
The efforts of the Cabinet were aimed at helping those in greatest need - the socially disadvantaged and pensioners - with the introduction of financial discipline and accountability, reducing the number of tax evaders to a minimum and equal treatment of economic agents, he said.
The no-confidence vote by the UtDF was designed to consolidate the opposition, and, if possible, dispel the hope for which the majority of Bulgarians voted in the latest parliamentary elections, Hassan Ademov, MP from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), said.
Ademov added that amendments should be made to the Consumer Protection Act and to the Medicines and Pharmacies Act to put an end to the speculative behaviour of some agents in the medicines market. Control over, and transparency in, the distribution of free or partially payable medicines should be increased to protect the interests of the socially disadvantaged.
Following the vote, the UtDF expect resignations of ministers personally responsible for the chaos with medicines because this is what the people want, UtDF floor leader Nadezhda Mihailova later told reporters. According to her, Saxe-Coburg should name these ministers because he was responsible for the Government’s policies.
Mihailova explained that UtDF leaders were talking to the press and not in the plenary chamber because the debate on Friday convinced them of the lack of communication with the incumbents. The no-confidence vote motion moved by the UtDF achieved its goal by making it clear who supports the Cabinet in its medicine pricing policies which caused chaos in the medicines market, she said. Accord-ing to her, the vote clearly showed the responsibility of the political forces and of the Government.
The Coalition for Bulgaria (CfB) MPs abstained from voting because the coalition was interested in finding a solution to the problem and not in pointless confrontation, CfB deputy floor leader Rumen Ovcharov said. In his view, Saxe-Coburg’s statement in Parliament showed he has learned nothing from this no-confidence vote.
The prime minister did not give his assessment of the current situation in the country and did not say the Government’s policies will be rectified in any way, Ovcharov said. CfB wanted to see clear signs from the Government that it was changing its policies, he said.
Last Friday, Parliament de-bated for six hours the no-confidence motion, which was the first to be voted by the 39th National Assembly.
The opposition accused the Government of incompetent and inadequate decisions, the most blatant of which they believed was the introduction of VAT on medicines. The Government had no programme or plan to deal with the grave consequences of this unwise decision which concerned the Bulgarian citizens and the country’s pharmaceutical industry, Mihailova said on Friday.
During the debate, Finance Minister Milen Velchev said that the Cabinet’s tax policy was fully aligned with EU standards. “The no-confidence motion is only part of an organised manipulation to destabilise the country, an organised campaign initiated by economic interests, which our Cabinet does not wish to, and will not, serve,” said Velchev.
At the end of the debate, Saxe-Coburg said that this Parliament had not exhausted all possibilities for reaching consensus on building a modern European-like health care system.
