GERB Leads Election with 68 Parliamentary Seats
Bulgaria: GERB Leads with 68 Deputies as Election Commission Confirms Parliamentary Seats
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced the mandates for the parliamentary parties in the 50th National Assembly of Bulgaria. GERB will have the most deputies, with a total of 68. The second-largest parliamentary group will be the DPS with 47 deputies, followed by “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) with 39. “Revival” will have 38 deputies, while the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will have 19.
The “Greatness” (Velichie) party will have the smallest parliamentary group, with 13 deputies. “There is Such a People” (TISP) will have 16 representatives, though their leader, Slavi Trifonov, will not be among them, as he was removed from the candidate lists by the CEC after submitting an application.
The CEC also reviewed and approved the analysis of inconsistencies after re-entering and comparing data from the sectional election commissions with the district commissions. Four elected members of the European Parliament have opted to remain as MEPs instead of joining the National Assembly: Hristo Petrov from WCC-DB, Ivaylo Valchev from TISP, Kristian Vigenin from BSP, and Stanislav Stoyanov from “Revival.” The CEC has fulfilled their requests and removed them from the parliamentary lists.
The US Plans Cooperation with Bulgaria
The US plans to deepen its cooperation with Bulgaria, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine and Romania. This is clear from the “Black Sea Security Act” introduced in the US Congress.
The document states that the priority will be activities such as intelligence and monitoring of Russian operations in the Black Sea region, the creation of an international headquarters to be responsible for the planning, preparation, implementation and coordination of multinational military forces. Fighting Russian disinformation with the support of the United States is also part of the priorities.
The document recognizes the Black Sea region as an arena of Russian aggression and declares that it is in the interest of the United States to support efforts to prevent the spread of further armed conflict in Europe.
The US ambassador to Bulgaria, Kenneth Merten, recently recalled the document, saying that the document will focus the issues of the region, because there are serious problems in certain parts of the Black Sea.
The second 10 days of the extended Russian military exercise in the economic zone of Bulgaria are currently underway.
Cup & Cross Ministries Shares the Love of Christ with Bulgarian Sunflower Seeds in Polk County, TN
by Kathryn Donev
Sunflowers are so much fun. They are actually thousands of tiny flowers that bring joy in many ways. It’s neat to watch them follow the sun because of a trait called heliotropism. Eating sunflower seeds can lower rates of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. They are a good source of many vitamins and minerals that can support your immune system. And did you know that a sunflowers destroy contaminants of its surrounding soil, water and air?
Although sunflowers are Native to North America, Bulgaria is among the top 10 sunflower producing countries. As in various places in Polk County, Bulgaria is famous for their golden fields. And believe it or not, you can find Bulgarian sunflower seeds in any Dollar General labeled with the Clover Valley brand. When we were ministering together with Feeding God’s Lambs Summer Program at First Baptist Benton giving a presentation about the 6 Senses of Bulgaria, the kids even got to taste some. Fun.
With a multisensory trip to Bulgaria, we shared how the Holy Spirit is our Sixth Sense to guide and direct us in life and found in everything we touch, see, hear, smell and even taste. When we all come together, we can do great things, just as with the thousands of tiny flowers that come together to have the appearance of a unified flower. Let us be a purifier of our environments and always be reminded to follow the SON. Being consumed with the sixth sense of the Holy Spirit is good for the soul.
BULGARIA represented with 5 lemmata in the printed BEGP
Brill’s Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism (BEGP) provides a comprehensive overview of worldwide Pentecostalism from a range of disciplinary perspectives. It offers analysis at the level of specific countries and regions, historical figures, movements and organizations, and particular topics and themes. The published volume is now available along with the online version of the Encyclopedia
BULGARIA with a NEW Caretaker Cabinet until July
World Wires on Bulgaria: Caretaker Cabinet Will Have to Tackle Pandemic, Ensure Fair Elections
Bulgaria‘s President Rumen Radev called a snap parliamentary election on Tuesday for July 11 and appointed Stefan Yanev, his close security and defense adviser, as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.
The European Union’s poorest member state is heading to the polls again three months after an inconclusive election in April resulted in a fragmented parliament that failed to produce a government.
Yanev, 61, who was a deputy premier and defense minister in the first caretaker government Radev appointed in 2017, will be tasked to manage the coronavirus pandemic and ensure a fair election, the president said in a statement, confirming an earlier report by Reuters.
President Radev is a harsh critic of long-serving prime minister Boyko Borissov.
Yanev’s government will also have to decide whether or not to submit a national plan to Brussels on how Sofia plans to use more than 6 billion euros from the EU’s coronavirus Recovery Fund.
In charge of the country’s finances will be Assen Vassilev, 43, a graduate of Harvard University, who served as caretaker economy and energy minister in 2013. Vassilev was part of the team that prepared Radev’s proposals for projects to be financed with EU recovery funds.
Borissov’s incumbent center-right GERB party again emerged as the largest party after the April vote, but it had lost seats due to popular anger against entrenched corruption and was shunned by other parties for a coalition government.
After Borissov failed to form an administration, so too did attempts by a new anti-elite party led by TV host Slavi Trifonov, and by the third largest party, the Socialists.
Analysts say the fresh election in July is likely to produce another fragmented parliament that could complicate the formation of a government. A recent opinion poll showed Borissov’s GERB and Trifonov’s ITN (There is Such a People) party running neck-and-neck.
Call for Parents and Caregivers to Have Time of Uninterrupted Play with Their Children
As a Board Certified Licensed Professional Counselor with nearly 20 years of experience in the field of play therapy, I understand the vital importance of play in the life of a child. With the COVID-19 pandemic which has swept the world, our children are being exposed to stressors and events that no child should ever have to endure. Children need play in their lives now more than ever before. Play is their only way to communicate and to process these traumatic times. A time of play allows for children to increase their emotional strength and reduces stress which in turn increases our children’s immunity defenses.
It is for this reason that I feel the urgency to call all parents and caregivers to set aside a minimum of 45 minutes to 1 hour during the day to play with their children. This structured time should meet the following guidelines:
- If possible should be one parent with one child at a time even if you have to limit play to only 30 minutes
- Play time is uninterrupted with no texting, social media, online surfing or phone use of any type
- Should be in a safe place
- Parents and caregivers need to offer a time which is non-judgmental in the parameters of protection
- Needs to be led by child and not adult, offering no suggestions about what or how to play unless asked from child
- Do not interrupt the child’s process by being impatient for child to finish tasks at hand
- This is not a time for teaching. It is a time of reflecting and empathetic listening of feelings.
- Repeat back to the child their actions during play instead of offering your biased insight.
- Listen to what your children are telling you via their play
- Provide unconditional love and support
There is always time for play. It should not be underestimated. During this time of crisis it is a basic necessity and will strengthen our children. We will make it through this together.
– K. Donev, LPC/MHSP, NCC
110 Years ago, the Azusa Street Revival Began with a Fast
On April 6, 1906 William J. Seymour and the faithful few gathered with him at the Asberry house, decided to engage in a ten-day fast while waiting on the baptism in the Spirit. The first baptism with the Holy Spirit would occur just three days later. Seymour himself would be baptized on the sixth day of the fast and on the seventh, which was Good Friday, Seymour and his followers leased an abandoned church property at 312 Azusa Street and begin cleaning it up. Easter was on April 15, 1906 when they held their very first Pentecostal service at Azusa Street. The rest is history…
