Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader and Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and GERB informal leader and Sofia Mayor Boiko Borissov exchanged Sunday invitations to debate but disagreed on the timing.

Stanishev was first to suggest that the two meet to debate economic issues on March 24 during the Referendum talkshow of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT). Borissov's reply to the invitation was that he would be waiting for the Prime Minister outside the Government building on Sunday evening. Stanishev declined, saying that a serious debate requires a broad audience rather than be held in the street.

In his debate invitation through the press office of his party, the Prime Minister said he hoped Borissov would accept "so that each of us, along with his economic team, could defend before the BNT audience his stand and ideas on how Bulgaria should overcome the consequences of the economic crisis."

In Stanishev's view it is important that the people hear all arguments and compare the economic competence of the two teams "because everyone willing to govern this country should prove that he has a clear vision and understanding of Bulgaria's economic problems and the options it has".

Through the press office of GERB, the Sofia Mayor said he would wait for Stanishev for a debate before the building of the Council of Ministers HQ at 8 p.m.

In a subsequent statement of the BSP press office, Prime Minister Stanishev is quoted saying that having a debate in the street "would be a sign of disrespect for the Bulgarian citizens who more than ever want to hear out the argument of the two sides on economic issues". "BSP chairman Sergei Stanishev thanks the GERB leader, Boiko Borissov, for his prompt response to the debate invitation, but it is his view that a serious debate should be held to the broadest possible audience and not in the street," the statement goes. It says in conclusion that the Prime Minister will be waiting for the Sofia Mayor in the BNT studio on March 24.

At 20:00 on Sunday, Borissov did arrive outside the government building. He headed for the main entrance and asked whether the Prime Minister was still in. He got a negative answer. "Stanishev's PR people didn't think I would be ready for a debate tonight," Borissov told the reporters waiting there.

"In Bankya, when somebody challenges you to a fight, you either fight right there or flee, and because I am a man, I am here outside his office - waiting - to make sure it is convenient for him," the Sofia mayor also said.

Bankya is the Sofia borough where Borissov grew up. In conclusion, he said that on March 24 he would send his strongest economic team to the Prime Minister. "I promise to bring from the US and Europe the best experts we have in this field."

If elections were held today, GERB and BSP are sure to make it into Parliament, along with Ataka, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), according to a late February poll by the National Public Opinion Centre (NPOC) made public March 10. Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), the Forward Movement and the Simeon II National Movement are also likely to clear the 4 per cent barrier to enter Parliament.

A total of 26.8 per cent of the respondents will vote for GERB, 17.7 per cent for BSP, 9.1 per cent for Ataka, 7.5 per cent for MRF, 3.1 per cent for UDF, 2.2 per cent for DSB, 2 per cent for FORWARD Movement and 1.4 per cent for SNM. A total of 23.2 per cent of the interviewed said they would not go to the polls.

According to a February survey by BBSS Gallup International, four parties are sure to gets seats in the next Parliament: GERB, BSP, MRF and Ataka. This survey gives GERB 23.5 per cent of the votes, BSP 17.3 per cent, MRF 7 per cent and Ataka 6 per cent. BBSS Gallup International's Zhivko Georgiev commented that a high voter turnout of some 50-55 per cent would give GERB an even more convincing lead. Expectations, however, are that even more voters will stay out of the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Source: BTA