January 22 (BTA) - With 164 votes in favour, 415 against
and 20 abstentions, the Congress of the Bulgarian Socialist
Party (BSP) did not accept the resignation of party leader
Korneliya Ninova, the BSP press office said on Saturday. The
vote was held in camera.

In her report to the delegates, Ninova presented objective facts
 that have affected the results of the Socialists in the
parliamentary elections: the covid pandemic and machine voting,
adding that there are also other, subjective factors.      

As a party and a parliamentary group, we fully supported machine
 voting, but perhaps it is time we evaluated its effect and
considered the introduction of mixed, machine-or-paper voting,
giving every citizen the right to choose, she said.     

Ninova commented that despite losing the elections, the BSP has
had considerable success. In three or four months the BSP has
become a desirable partner for political change. "We are part of
 Bulgaria's ruling coalition," Ninova said. "We are a key pillar
 of stability, security, predictability and professionalism in
Bulgaria's current government and in the National Assembly," she
 added.        

About the budget, which is to be adopted by the National
Assembly, Ninova highlighted the increase in the minimum wage to
 710 leva, extending maternity benefits over two years, the
government's predicted 4.8 per cent growth in the economy, the
decline in unemployment to 5 per cent and of inflation from 7.1
to 5.6 per cent. "This is the first big step for social justice,
 and it is all thanks to the role the BSP and BSP for Bulgaria
play in governing the country," Ninova said.   

Korneliya Ninova later told reporters that she confirmed her
resignation to the Congress and, when she submitted it, did not
think of withdrawing it for a moment, but according to BSP
rules, the decision had to be made by the delegates, who decided
 not to accept it.   

According to her, the important thing is that the Congress
confirmed the policies of the BSP in the government by an
overwhelming majority.   

Speaking to reporters, Krum Zarkov, who announced before the
Congress that he would run for BSP leader in a possible direct
election, described the decision as "more than a crime" and a
"grave mistake".

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) is holding a meeting of the
50th Congress of the party in Hall 1 of Sofia's National Palace
of Culture.        

The convening of the Congress came after a series of election
losses for the BSP, which remained behind the MRF as the fourth
political formation in the last parliamentary vote on November
14. Two days after the elections, in a statement to the media,
Korneliya Ninova described the result as catastrophic and
resigned, which will now be considered by the Congress. A month
later, the BSP came to power as part of the ruling coalition,
and Ninova became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy
and Industry in the new government of Prime Minister Kiril  
Petkov.       

RY/MT