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Bulgaria: PM Designate Nikolov presents draft cabinet lineup

Bulgaria: PM Designate Nikolov presents draft cabinet lineup
Sofia, 3 August 2021 (BTA/MIA) - The Prime Minister designate of the There is Such a People (TISP) party, Plamen Nikolov, Tuesday presented to journalists his party's draft cabinet lineup. The names of the proposed ministers were first presented at closed-door meetings with representatives of Rise Up BG! Here We Come!, Democratic Bulgaria, and BSP for Bulgaria earlier in the day. The line-up of the draft government is as follows: Plamen Nikolov - Prime Minister Radi Naydenov - Minister of Foreign Minister Peter Iliev - Minister of Interior Plamen Danailov - Minister of Finance Dessislava Dimitrova - Minister of Economy Velislava Petrova - Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Alexander Nikolov - Minister of Energy Silvi Kirilov - Minister of Health Georgi Georgiev - Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Grozdan Karadzhov - Minister of Transport Ivailo Kozhuharov - Minister of Tourism Plamen Abrovski - Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Teodora Genchovska - Minister of Defence Teodora Peneva - Minister of Labour, Social and Demographic Policy Silvia Bakurdzhieva - Minister of Environment and Water Georgi Soultanov - Minister of Culture Radostin Vassilev - Minister of Youth and Sports Momchil Ivanov - Minister of Justice Antonia Valentinova - Minister without portfolio responsible for Roma Affairs The names of the nominees for deputy prime ministers will be announced later. TISP floor leader Toshko Yordanov told reporters in the Parliament building that their proposal is final and no changes will be made. He also said that the purpose of the meetings with Democratic Bulgaria, Rise Up BG! and the Socialist party was not to debate on the composition of the government. "[Prime Minister designate] Nikolov gave them the necessary information about all nominees and why they were picked for the post. The decision [on the government composition] was made by the parliamentary group and the national leadership of the party," he said. He added that his party had said from the start that it was not going to sign any coalition agreements because it won't be a coalition government. "The other parties expect an agreement of some sort to be signed but there is no agreement on a single document to be undersigned by all," Yordanov said of the party's demands to have an agreement signed. He would not say how TISP plan to go about with these demands. Prime Minister designate Plamen Nikolov said that he "felt support during the meetings but let's not rush things".