site.btaParliament Stops Haphazard Registration of Voters at One Address

Parliament Stops Haphazard Registration of Voters at One Address

Sofia, June 17 (BTA) - Parliament Wednesday passed on first
reading four bills on the revision of the Civil Registration
Act. The bills were tabled by Movement for Rights and Freedoms
(MRF) leader Lyutvi Mestan and a group of MPs, by the Council of
 Ministers, Maya Manolova of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)
 and a group of MPs, and by Nayden Zelenogorski of the Reformist
 Bloc and a group of MPs.

Zelenogorski, Valeri Simeonov of the Patriotic Front and a group
 of MPs propose more specific and increased control under the
Civil Registration Act to establish and erase unreal
registrations at current and permanent address. The bill was
supported by 142 MPs, five MPs were against and 10 abstained.

Manolova's bill garnered the most votes - 145. Three MPs were
against and 11 abstained. Manolova proposes that all
registrations in violation of the law be erased, as well as
sanctions for the perpetrators. The bill provides the
opportunity for inspections of the legality of registrations
which will be erased when violations of the law are established.

Mestan proposed that officials responsible for civil
registration should not have the right to require Muslim
citizens to give the names imposed on them during the so-called
"Regeneration Process", as well as ex officio restoration of the
 names of deceased citizens who "fell victim to forceful change
of names". This was supported by 104 MPs, 40 voted against and
27 abstained.

The revisions proposed by the government are related to the
opportunity to speed up the time-limit for issuing a birth
certificate for stillborn children. The bill was supported by
133 MPs, none were against and four abstained.
     
Mestan moved that two provisions remain on second reading -
administrative restoration of the names of the deceased, while
the act of restoration for all the rest be the result of their
explicit desire, but by administrative means, not involving the
court or fees due.

Tsveta Karayancheva of GERB said her party has condemned the
Regeneration Process. She added that there is a reason behind
Mestan's proposal but that there cannot be ex officio obligation
 to change the names of the deceased. In her opinion, it could
be better if there is a request for an administrative change by
the heirs. GERB supports the bills of Manolova and Zelenogorski,
 but changes should be made before second reading, she added.

Manolova pointed out that this vote should be a sign that the
MPs will do their best for the elections to be fair.