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From Bulgaria

13.03.2013 11:34

Caretaker Government Stepped Into Office

Ex deputy-minister of exterior Marin Raikov will head the country

AUTHOR: publics.bg

President Plevneliev announced the members of the caretaker government headed by Marin Raikov (right)
© president.bg

Today at an official ceremony, the new temporary government was officially presented to the public by Bulgarian resident Rosen Plevneliev. Marin Raikov, one of Bulgaria’s most notable diplomats from the 70’s and 80’s and ex-deputy minister of exterior in the cabinet of Ivan Kostov, was chosen as temporary Prime Minister.

The deputy prime ministerial posts will be taken by three ladies with extensive experience in the sectors regional development, social services and employment and European funding.

The energy ministry will be headed by Asen Vasilev, who was member of the Economic and Social Council. Vasilev is a Harvard graduate and co-founder of private plane ticket booking company Everbread.

The caretaker ministers are undeniable professionals in their spheres, who know well the work done by the institutions and have proved their party non-affiliation, President Rosen Plevneliev explained his choice on the official ceremony. None of them has been affiliated to the former communist-era state security, the president added.

The caretaker government will work to reinstate the trust in the institutions and secure more transparency and civic control. It will be a guarantor of fair and free elections, therefore a Civil Board for Fair Elections will be established at the prime minister’s office. The cabinet’s efforts will also be directed at ensuring transparency and efficiency of the regulatory bodies so as to curb the harmful impact of the monopoly structures, Rosen Plevneliev said. The government should draft anti-trust legislation in the energy sector and give the citizens an option to freely choose their electricity supplier. The caretaker government will prepare the legislative amendments whereby a strong and independent regulator will function, one that will be elected by the National Assembly not appointed by the power holders. The public councils at the individual ministries will start promptly functioning and the first topics of debate will be energy, ecology and social policy, the president further added.

Another basic task that the caretaker cabinet will have to tackle is taking adequate action to plan and negotiate the EU funds for Bulgaria until 2020 as well as to prevent a vacuum in the absorption of EU funds. The head of state further added that pensions will be increased, as planned of 1 April.