The National Assembly rejected Tuesday the no-confidence motion against the government. The motion was tabled by the opposition on the grounds of a breakdown in the state policy regarding education. A total of 61 MPs supported the motion, compared to 160 "against" and one abstained.

At an extraordinary sitting Monday, Parliament debated the motion for nearly six hours. This is the third no-confidence motion the coalition government of three parties - the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the Simeon II National Movement and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms - is passing through. It was elected in 2005.

The motion was submitted last week - the second of a nation-wide teachers' strike over pay grievances and underfunding of education - by the parliamentary opposition, including the United Democratic Forces (UtdDF), Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), Bulgarian Popular Union (BPU) and Ataka.

After Parliament rejected the motion, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev took the floor, stating that the debate which preceded today's vote will occasion a serious consideration of the problems of education and its prospects to ensure that Bulgaria has an educational system, which is modern and guarantees quality.

Remarking on the fact that this is the third no confidence motion against the government, the Prime Minister noted that as each of them targeted the policy in a sector of government they obviously aimed to test the strength of the coalition. "As one can see, these attempts were unsuccessful."