Branimir Mladenov resigns

Bulgaria’s ambassador to Turkey, Branimir Mladenov, has filed his resignation, Bulgarian news agency BTA quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying on November 13 2009.

The resignation comes a week after Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva and the Cabinet asked President Georgi Purvanov to recall Mladenov and Bulgaria’s ambassador to the US, Luchezar Petkov, because of a number of violations of electoral law during the July 5 2009 elections for Bulgarian Parliament.

The Cabinet’s decision to recall the two ambassadors became the formal reason for tension between Purvanov and Prime Minister Boiko Borissov.

Purvanov claimed that he was not informed in detail about the two ambassadors’ violations and could not sign a decree which was sent to his administration at the last moment “on a Friday (November 6) afternoon”.

If the two ambassadors breached the law, Purvanov said, he would sign the decree for their recall but he wanted more information.

Now, however, Petkov is expected to follow Mladenov’s example and also resign after Zheleva made it clear they did not have her support.

On November 8, Purvanov indirectly but very openly criticised Borissov and his Cabinet for lack of vision and clear priorities in running the country.

A day later, two parties that have so far backed the Cabinet, but are not part of the government, raised the question whether Purvanov should face impeachment for his actions over the past eight years and the fact that he used to work for the communist-era secret service.

Borissov said he did not want a confrontation, but he had to support the talks about the legal grounds for a motion for Purvanov’s impeachment. The President’s response was that he was ready to face the process and that he was not afraid of it.