Parliament Votes New Environment Minister into Office ~ HABERBG English

With 111 votes in favour and 96 votes
against, the National Assembly Wednesday approved the nomination of Emil Dimitrov MP of United Patriots as Minister of
Environment and Water. He later swore in before Parliament.

The vote also removed from office Neno Dimov, who resigned as

Environment and Water Minister last week following his arrest
and wilful mismanagement charges over the severe water crisis
and water rationing in the western town of Pernik late in 2019.

Dimitrov was supported by 89 MPs of GERB, 20 MPs of United
Patriots and two independent MPs. Seventy-one MPs of BSP for
Bulgaria, 22 MPs of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, and
three independent MPs voted against his nomination.
The members of the Volya parliamentary group left the plenary
chamber right before the nomination was put to the vote.

Plamen Hristov MP of Volya explained his parliamentary group's
refusal to take part in the vote by saying that the scheme for
distributing ministries between the GERB-United Patriots ruling
coalition was warped.

The BSP for Bulgaria parliamentary group argued that the entire

government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov should resign.

After he swore in, Dimitrov responded to the opposition's
criticism of his lack of expert knowledge in the environment
sector by recalling his biography and his good joint work with
ministers of various political parties.

Dimitrov said that as Environment and Water Minister, he will
implement the programme of the ruling majority. He also said he
favours an increased and restrictive control over the import of
waste, and that he would like to see in person the dams which he
as Environment and Water Minister will be in charge of. In his
words, he will be an administrator, will distribute tasks at the
Ministry and will seek individual responsibility. He promised
to work with everyone, regardless of their party affiliation.

Approached by journalists after the parliamentary sitting,
Dimitrov said he hopes that Ivelina Vassileva MP of GERB, who
currently heads the parliamentary Environment and Water
Committee, will join his team, because he will rely a lot on the
help of experts.

Born in Pernik in 1962, economist Emil Dimitrov started his
career as an auditor and was named Auditor of the Year in 1997,
which accounts for his nickname "Revizoro" [Auditor]. In 2001,
under Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's government, he headed the
Customs Directorate. He has been a Member of Parliament on
VRMO's quota since 2014.