29 July 2009

At the sitting on 29 July 2009 the National Assembly elected the leaders and members of the standing parliamentary committees.

Iskra Fidosova was the elected Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee. The Committee is to have 3 Deputy Chairpersons – Todor Dimitrov (GERB), Yavor Notev (ATAKA) and Luben Kornezov (CB).

Svetlin Tanchev (GERB) was nominated to chair the European Affairs and Control of the European Funds Committee. Desislava Taneva(GERB), Dzhevdet Chakurov (MRF) and Meglena Plugchieva (CB) will be Deputy Chairpersons.

Ivan Kostov will be the first to chair the Control of the State Agency for National Security (SANS) Committee. The Committee is composed of six members – one of each parliamentary group. Members of the Committee are as follows: Ivan Ivanov (GERB), Dimitar Dubov(CB), Kamen Kostadinov (MRF), Volen Siderov (ATAKA), Ivan Kostov (Blue Coalition) and Yane Yanev( OLJ). The National Assembly decided that the chairmanship will be held on the principle of rotation for every two consecutive sessions of the National Assembly, starting with the smallest parliamentary group. Yane Yanev, the Chairperson of Order, Lawfulness, and Justice parliamentary group asked to be taken off the list as chairperson, due to the fact that he already chairs another Committee. So Ivan Kostov from the Blue Coalition took over the chairmanship of the said Committee.

The National Assembly decided that the Anti-Corruption, Conflict of Interests and Parliamentary Ethics Committee will also be chaired, on the principle of rotation in the course of two consecutive sessions, starting with parliamentary groups other than the largest one. Ekaterina Mihailova proposed the smallest PG to become the first to preside over the Committee. The elected members of the Committee are Nikolay Kotsev (GERB), Boyko Velikov (Blue Coalition), Valentin Ivanov (ATAKA), Dimo Gyaurov (Blue Coalition) and Yane Yanev (OLJ).

Yordan Bakalov (Blue Coalition) will Chair the Human Rights, Religion, Citizens’ Complaints and Petitions Committee. Deputy Chairpersons became Krasimira Simeonova (GERB), and Tuncher Kurdzhaliev (MRF).

The Culture, Civil Society and Media Committee will be headed by Daniela Petrova (GERB), her deputies to be Stoyan Ivanov (ATAKA) and Emel Etem (MRF).

The Environment and Water Committee Chairperson will be Iskra Mihailova (MRF) and Deputy Chairpersons Ognyan Peichev (ATAKA) and Ivan Alexiev (GERB).

Emilia Maslarova (CB) will chair the Labour and Social Policy Committee. Genoveva Alexieva (GERB) and Todor Velikov (OLJ) were the elected Deputy Chairpersons.

The Committee on Health Care will be headed by Luchezar Ivanov. He will have three deputies Plamen Tsekov(GERB), Vanio Sharkov(Blue Coalition), Evgeniy Gelev(CB).

The Internal Security and Public Order Committee Chairperson will be Atanas Atanasov(GERB). The elected for Deputy Chairpersons were Krasimir Tsipov (GERB), Kasim Dal (MRF) and Desislav Chukolov (ATAKA).

The Education, Science, Children, Youths and Sports Committee will be chaired by Ognyan Stoichkov (ATAKA), Deputy Chairpersons will be Galina Bankovska (GERB) and Aliosman Imamov (MRF).

Dimiter Chukarski(OLJ) is the elected Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Deputy Chairpersons will be Zhivko Todorov (GERB), Angel Naidenov (CB) and Dimo Giyaurov (Blue Coalition).

The Agriculture and Forests Committee will be headed by Desislava Taneva(GERB). The committee will have 22 members: 11 from GERB, 1 from the Blue Coalition, 1 from (OLJ), 4 from (CB), 3 from (MRF) and 2 from ATAKA. Committee Deputy Chairpersons will be Emil Dimitrov (GERB) and Yunal Tasim (MRF).

Lyuben Tatarski (GERB) will be in charge of the Regional Policy and Local Government Committee. Deputy Chairpersons became Alexander Nenkov (GERB), Roumen Petkov (CB) and Nikolay Pehlivanov (ATAKA). The Committee will consist of 22 members – 11 from (GERB), 4 from Coalition for Bulgaria, 3 from (MRF), 2 from ATAKA, 1 from the Blue Coalition and 1 from (OLJ);

Menda Stoyanova will be at the head of the Budget and Finance Committee and will be assisted by the Deputy Chairpersons Dimiter Glavchev (GERB) and Roumen Ovcharov (CB). The committee is to have 26 members – 13(GERB), 4(CB), 4(MRF), 2 (ATAKA), 2(Blue Coalition) and 1(OLJ).

The National Assembly will have 6 Secretaries, one from each parliamentary group- Plamen Nunev (GERB), Milena Hristova (CB), Mithat Metin (MRF), Petar Hlebarov (ATAKA), Mariana Darakchieva (BC) and Biserka Petrova (OLJ).

The parliament voted amendments to the names of two parliamentary committees so that the names would correspond to the names of the respective ministries.