GERB-UDF have said their nominee Daniel Mitov will promptly return the mandate

President Rumen Radev will present a an exploratory cabinet-forming mandate to the prime ministerial nominee of GERB-UDF, the second largest parliamentary force, at 9:30 a.m. on August 20, the President's press secretariat said on Thursday.

GERB-UDF have said their nominee Daniel Mitov will promptly return the mandate, BTA reported.

The President will have to offer a third and last mandate to a smaller parliamentary group of his choice within a week from Friday.

The largest parliamentary group, There Is Such a People (TISP), have unsuccessfully completed their mandate.

It transpired from the President's two rounds of consultations on Tuesday and Wednesday that TISP are unwilling to support a minority cabinet that may be formed on the third mandate and that BSP for Bulgaria are willing to form a cabinet if given the third mandate or, if not, to consider supporting a cabinet proposed by another party.

Democratic Bulgaria said they were willing to see an "emergency aid" government being formed but noted that this would very much depend on TISP's readiness to back the idea, considering the allocation of seats in the legislature.

TISP has 65 MPs in the 240-member legislature, GERB-UDF 63, BSP for Bulgaria 36, Democratic Bulgaria 34, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms 29, and Rise Up BG! Here We Come! has 13. To be elected, a proposed cabinet must be supported by more than half of the MPs present.