''I am not surprised that the president’s veto concerning the sale of Lukoil’s assets was overturned, because even on such a delicate, serious and worrying issue, there were no arguments or discussion'', Vice President Iliana Iotova told journalists in the town of Levski, reported BTA. ''This reflects an attitude toward the presidential institution, but it is also an attitude toward statehood'', Vice President Iotova added.

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According to Iliana Iotova, so far neither the Minister of Energy, the Prime Minister, nor anyone from the ruling majority has reassured Bulgarian citizens that there will be no fuel problems. ''We do not know what will happen with the refinery, where and how new supplies will come from, what will be done to prevent fuel prices from rising, or what will happen to the thousands of people employed at the refinery'', said Vice President Iotova. Iliana Iotova described the process surrounding the refinery as non-transparent, aiming to sell it to individuals close to the ruling authorities who, however, have ownership issues.

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: BTA