site.btaRuling Majority Considers New Election Code Revisions amid Ongoing Controversy

Ruling Majority Considers New Election Code Revisions amid Ongoing Controversy

Sofia, May 10 (BTA) - The ruling majority is considering new Election Code amendments to safeguard the constitutional rights of Bulgarian citizens and protect national security. This transpired on Tuesday after a more-than-two-hour meeting in the National Assembly between Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Parliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova and the leadership of the parliamentary groups of GERB, the Reformist Bloc and the Patriotic Front. The ABV group stayed out of the talks of the ruling coalition.

Prime Minister Borissov admitted that the latest Election Code amendments, which were vetoed by President Rosen Plevneliev and are due for reconsideration in the National Assembly, do indeed restrict the voting rights of Bulgarians abroad. Borissov hopes that after expert-level talks in the coming days, the provisions will be written in a way that will ensure that the rights of all Bulgarians abroad are protected while the fears which brought about the amendments in the first place will be alleviated.

The main point of contention regarding the Election Code revisions is that they have legislated against the creation of an "Abroad" constituency in parliamentary elections and have limited overseas voting only to certain locations. The revisions triggered an outcry among expatriate Bulgarians and thousands joined a petition against the new legislation. Most of the controversial changes had been pushed through by the Patriotic Front, which had been outraged by the establishment of what it claimed were "hundreds of voting sections in Turkey beyond the control of the Bulgarian government" in past Bulgarian elections. The Patriotic Front sees a threat to national security in this situation.

After Tuesday's meeting of the ruling majority, the Patriotic Front said they would not retreat from their position and insisted that the National Assembly should override the presidential veto. On the other hand, Patriotic Front Floor Leader Valeri Simeonov said they are prepared to join a new legislative initiative as they have heard "good proposals" from GERB and the Reformist Bloc.

The Patriotic Front complained that President Plevneliev refused to meet with them after they asked to talk with him on May 6, the day he announced his veto. "Sadly, the Bulgarian President declined a debate with Parliament and imposed a veto," Patriotic Front Co-Chairman Krassimir Karakachanov said. He added that his group wants to see a stable government and a prosperous nation.

Roumyana Buchvarova, who, as Deputy Prime Minister, is in charge of Coalition Policy, said the participants in the meeting agreed that it is necessary to create a good law and the additional changes will serve this purpose; they will guarantee voters' rights and will enable the government to organize elections effectively. "It is very important to make sure that we have as many voting sections [abroad] as will enable the government to create conditions for a proper election process," Buchvarova said.