site.btaGERB MPs Submit to Parliament Draft Resolution Supporting National Referendum Questions

GERB MPs Submit to Parliament Draft Resolution Supporting National Referendum Questions

Sofia, November 14 (BTA) - Three GERB MPs will submit to Parliament a draft resolution for supporting the questions from the November 6 national referendum, Parliament's Deputy Chair Dimiter Glavchev told journalists in Parliament. He and his GERB colleagues Danail Kirilov (Legal Committee Chair) and Dessislava Atanassova have drafted the proposed resolution.

The text reads: supports the election of National Representatives by an absolute majority in a two-round majoritarian system; compulsory voting in elections and referendums, as well as setting the annual state subsidy granted for financing political parties and coalitions at 1 lev per valid vote received at the last parliamentary elections.

The draft resolution provides for the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee to submit a report by December 15, 2016.

GERB said it is ready to propose the complete scrapping of state financing for political entities through amendments to the Political Parties Act. The party will seek the opinion of the National Audit Office about the potential consequences, however. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov also declared himself in favour of a zero leva state subsidy for political parties on Sunday evening.

Kirilov said that the draft resolution follows the three questions as included in the referendum, on which Parliament should pronounce itself, and that is why GERB supports voters' choice concerning the topics.

GERB is drafting a detailed proposal regarding the majoritarian election system. Its application is pretty complicated and affects quite a few questions of principle, which will be new for Bulgaria's legislation, and which should be debated by the Parliamentary committees, Kirilov said, voicing hope that there is sufficient time to attract experts in the field. Practices in foreign countries are currently being studied by GERB.

Atanassova noted that her party wants to renew the debate on e-voting. She voiced hope that the parties in Parliament will hear and assess the Bulgarian citizens' demands and allow the rules to be set as the people wish.