site.bta National Ombudsman Submits Bills Introducing Majoritarian System for Parliamentary Elections

National Ombudsman Submits Bills Introducing Majoritarian System for Parliamentary Elections

Sofia, November 21 (BTA) - National Ombudsman Maya Manolova and members of the Initiative Committee for the 2016 National Referendum Monday submitted draft amendments to the Election Code to the National Assembly.

The bill introduces a two-round majoritarian system for parliamentary elections and, to this end, establishes 231 equal single-member constituencies in the country and nine single-member constituencies abroad. To avoid a distortion of the results, the draft proposes that the right to elect MPs in the single-member constituencies in Bulgaria be limited to Bulgarian citizens who have resided in the constituency concerned at least during the last six months.

"As a National Ombudsman, I drafted and presented this bill in order to defend the will that Bulgarian citizens expressed at the referendum," Manolova said. She pointed out that in writing the draft she drew on ideas and suggestions of independent experts and members of the committee that initiated the referendum. The Ombudsman recalled that more than two and a half million Bulgarians voted in favour of a two-round majoritarian system with absolute majority. In her words, the bill is not perfect and can be improved, but she hopes it will serve as a point of departure for the forthcoming discussions and debate. Manolova expects the parties to submit their own bills, so that the best legislative solutions could be adopted.

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?"

Toshko Hadjitodorov of the Initiative Committee commented that the Bulgarian people will bear the political responsibility for the consequences of introducing a majoritarian election system. Manolova noted that politicians have made mistakes on numerous occasions and it would not be fatal if the people makes a mistake at a referendum.