site.bta ABV Will Not Join Tabling of Draft Constitutional Changes in Parliament, Ataka Ready for Talks on Revisions if Invited

ABV Will Not Join Tabling of Draft Constitutional Changes in Parliament,  Ataka Ready for Talks on Revisions if Invited

Sofia, May 22 (BTA) - The MPs of ABV will not join the tabling 
of the draft constitutional changes in Parliament, ABV Deputy 
Chair Roumen Petkov told a news conference Friday. In Petkov's 
words,  the bill contains ideas which are mutually exclusive 
with those set in the draft amendments to the Judiciary Act 
already tabled by ABV. This parliamentary group's bill is the 
product of a wide public and professional discussion and ABV 
will not give up on it, he said. 

The amendments to the Constitution proposed by the ruling 
majority concern the judicial reform and the division of the 
Supreme Judicial Council into two colleges. It transpired on
Thursday that over 100 signatures in favour of  submitting a
formal proposal for constitutional amendments have already been
collected, and the required minimum number is 60 signatures.

Petkov recalled that ABV has also put forward a proposal for 
establishing a Judicial Reform Council with the National 
Assembly, where the future reform can be discussed in dept. This
  idea has received broad support from MPs but no progress has 
been made on it yet, he noted.
   
"We declare our will to participate in a constructive debate on
 the constitutional changes, but we will not join a debate going
  beyond the topic of amendments to the Constitution outside of
 the Judiciary's sphere," Petkov said. According to him, part of
  the ideas for constitutional revisions are within the powers
of  a Grand National Assembly.

Ataka leader Volen Siderov told journalists in Parliament that 
he is ready to talk about the constitutional changes proposed by
  GERB and the Reformist Bloc if he is invited by them. He
added,  however, that he prefers a national referendum to be
held  before amending the Basic Law or other acts important for
 Bulgaria. This requires changes in the law on referenda because
  it is unrealistic when it comes to the number of signatures 
required for initiating a referendum.

Siderov recalled that according to his party, the draft 
constitutional amendments are aimed at establishing control over
  the Supreme Judicial Council because it appoints prosecutors 
and judges. The Ataka parliamentary group is strongly reserved 
towards the proposed revisions also because these are not 
explained well enough and because GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan 
Tsvetanov has not invited Ataka to debates on the bill. If 
invited to such a meeting, Ataka would ask whether the proposed
 amendments do not lead to a Grand National Assembly, Siderov 
said in explanation of how the power holders should approach his
  party if they want its support.
   
According to Siderov, the draft constitutional changes should be
  debated not within a committee but in a wider and more open 
format with the participation of magistrates and media.