Slavi Vasilev, deputy chairman of the parliamentary group of „Progressive Bulgaria“, proposed that Bozhidar Bozhanov, co-chairman of „Yes, Bulgaria“, leave the National Assembly together with him and see how they would cope outside politics. Vasilev said he would resign if Bozhanov did the same.
The proposal was made in a Facebook post prompted by a comment from Bozhanov about the conduct of those in power following the elections. Vasilev wrote: „You should not be worried. You represent the smart and capable people, while I represent the simple and uneducated ones.“
The reason for the dispute
Bozhanov said that arrogance had led to the failure of the previous government. He cited as examples the mocking of protests, an insult directed at an online supporter of „Yes, Bulgaria“ by an MP from „Progressive Bulgaria“, and a proposal by journalist Yavor Dachkov to restrict the opposition’s appearances on television programmes.
„You were given power to do your job, not to vent your frustrations over your own inability to govern on the opposition and citizens,“ Bozhanov wrote. According to him, those in power had accomplished almost nothing in six months.
Harsh labels
In his reply, Vasilev urged Bozhanov to read a post by a person whom the MP described as a supporter of „Yes, Bulgaria“. In the text he quoted, the elections were described as part of a „civil war“ and a „class conflict“ linked to people’s education, income and way of life.
Vasilev questioned whether such statements did not deepen divisions in society. He accused his political opponents of fomenting hatred and trying to retain their seats in parliament. In his words, portraying the voters of „Progressive Bulgaria“ as „simple“ and reducing them to a „number“ was a dangerous act of confrontation, which he described as an „embryonic stage of outright fascism“.
At the end of his post, Vasilev once again proposed to Bozhanov that they both leave parliament and see which of them would cope better outside politics. No reports have emerged that either of the two MPs has submitted a resignation.
Sources: dariknews.bg