site.btaSocialist MP Manolova: Parliament's Draft Rules of Organization and Procedure Most Undemocratic

123 POLITICS - SOCIALIST MP MANOLOVA - PARLIAMENT RULES

Socialist MP Manolova: Parliament's Draft Rules of Organization and Procedure Most Undemocratic


Pernik, Western Bulgaria, November 17 (BTA) - The rules of organization and procedure, according to which the 43rd National Assembly will work, are the most undemocratic, said here on Monday socialist MP Maya Manolova.

On November 14, an ad hoc committee in Parliament announced the draft rules of organization and procedure of the National Assembly, which will be put to the vote in the plenary chamber this week.

According to Manolova, with the adopted rules of procedure GERB delivers a blow to parliamentarism and the rules and procedures established in the 25 years of parliamentary history, on the legislative work of the opposition and parliamentary control, as well as on the ability of Parliament to exercise supervision and monitoring over the independent regulators.

For the first time obstacles are created for the opposition to include important bills on the weekly agenda, the MPs' rostrum time is reduced when bills are discussed, along with the questions and inquiries within the parliamentary question time, while written responses by ministers are accepted, instead of them being subjected to a hearing by the opposition in Parliament, as is the common practice in the democratic world, Manolova said.

"We will alert the Constitutional Court if these texts become a reality," Manolova said. She described as inexplicable the Reformist Bloc's behaviour, who according to her, were until recently on the streets with the protestors, fighting for more control and transparency. Now they betrayed their supporters, violating the basic principles of publicity and control, she said. LI/MY