site.btaLegal Committee Postpones Discussion of National Referendum Draft Decision

Legal Committee Postpones Discussion of National Referendum Draft Decision

Sofia, January 10 (BTA) - With six votes in favour and 11 against the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee did not accept to discuss the draft decision tabled by GERB in relation to the national referendum held on November 6, 2016. The item was dropped from the committee agenda by a motion of opposition MPs.

Ataka, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and the Reformist Bloc said that such a discussion should follow the judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court whether the referendum is mandatory. In addition, opposition MPs said the discussion of the draft decision is belated because the time-limits offered in it have expired and should first be updated.

At the extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, the National Assembly Legal Affairs Committee was to consider a draft resolution in connection with the November 6, 2016 national referendum.

Over the last month and a half the parliamentary group of GERB has drafted a bill on the application of a full-fledged majoritarian system in parliamentary elections, planning to lay this draft legislation before the legislature on Thursday.

Of the 3,488,558 voters who cast valid ballots at the November 6 referendum, 2,509,864 answered "yes" and 560,024 answered "no" to the question "Do you favour electing National Representatives by an absolute majority in a two-round majoritarian system?"

The draft decision will be included in the weekly agenda of the National Assembly as the first item for Wednesday, Committee Chairman Danail Kirilov of GERB said. That is why he thinks the relevant committee should come out with a report. GERB's parliamentary group will demand the discussion of this draft in the plenary chamber.

The draft resolution of GERB suggests that the 43rd National Assembly support the introduction of an absolute majority in a two-round majoritarian system, mandatory voting and reduction of party subsidies to 1.0 lev per valid vote. The Legal Affairs Committee was to table a report for second voting of the draft revisions to the Election Code by December 15, 2016.

Chetin Kazak of MRF said the draft decision is late, it was tabled even on November 14 last year and should therefore be left to the next Parliament.

Yavor Notev of Ataka also said that if such a decision should be voted it should be updated first and only then discussed.

BSP's Filip Popov also supported the opinion that they should wait for the judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court.