Refusal by the leader of right-wing minority opposition party the Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB) Ivan Kostov and by Volen SIderov, leader of ultra-nationalist party Ataka, to sign a proposed motion of no confidence in Bulgaria’s Cabinet may scuttle attempts to have the motion tabled.

Both parties are refusing to join other opposition parties in backing the motion, Novinar daily reported.

This means that opposition parties will be unable to muster the 48 signatures of members of Parliament required for the motion to be tabled.

Siderov said that Ataka was refusing to support the motion because of the “possible consolidation of the ruling majority in Parliament”.

DSB MP Konstantin Dimitrov said that the timing was inappropriate for a motion of no confidence.

Petar Stoyanov, leader of the Union of Democratic forces (UDF), said that he hoped that common sense would prevail among both parties. The UDF began collecting signatures on May 9 2007.