Bulgarian Parliament rejects new government proposed by leader of main party

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s Parliament has voted down a minority government proposed by the center-right GERB party, which likely will bring the country closer to new elections. The move Wednesday comes after six elections in three years that resulted in shaky coalitions. Lawmakers voted 138-98 to reject the proposal designed to make Rosen Zhelyazkov, a 56-year-old lawyer and former speaker of Parliament, the next prime minister. The GERB party finished first in the June elections, the sixth in the last three years, but only has 68 legislators in the 240-seat National Assembly.