site.btaNational Assembly Passes Draft 2019 Report of Commission for Protection of Discrimination

Sofia, June 3 (BTA) - On Wednesday the National Assembly passed
the draft report on the activity of the Commission for
Protection against Discrimination (CPD) for 2019.

The report of the parliamentary Committee on Religion and Human
Rights, which prepares the draft decision on the CPD report,
says that this body has received 921 complaints and alerts, and
920 case-files have been opened. The complaints are in the
sphere of education, health care, employment and the provision
of goods and services. The report states that the increased
number of complaints is a result of the commission's preventive
actions.

Addressing the assembly, United Patriots MP Yulian Angelov
insisted that Parliament should pass a decision to scrap CPD.
Angelov underscored that, in the opinion of the Internal
Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation, such a commission should
not exist as there are Bulgarian courts and a Protection against
 Discrimination Act.

"Any citizen who feels discriminated in any way can seek his/her
 rights before the Bulgarian court. Why should there be another
redundant, different state authority? And that even does not
have regional structures across the country where discriminated
people want to contact such", the MP asked.

CPD Chair Ana Djumalieva declared she cannot agree with such a
thesis. She underscored that CPD is one of the authorities on
equality at European level and the commission has over 15 years
of experience. Bulgaria should be proud that it has one of the
best anti-discrimination laws in Europe, she said, adding that
CPD is the only such authority in all Europe that considers 19
symptoms of discrimination./RY/BR