site.btaSubsidies Concern Opposition Rather Than Ruling Parties - President Radev

107 POLITICS - PRESIDENT - PARTY SUBSIDY - COMMENTARY

Subsidies Concern Opposition
Rather Than Ruling Parties -
President Radev


June 13 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev told journalists that "the ruling parties do not need subsidies as they are directly financed by the State and they do not even hide it."
His commentary comes after Parliament approved on principle the Government's proposal to reduce the party subsidy from 11 leva to 1 lev per valid vote.

President Radev commented for the media on current topics after his participation in the opening ceremony of the Sixth World News Agencies Congress, which takes place in Sofia and is hosted by BTA.

"Subsidies concern mostly the existence of the opposition, so such a decision smothers the opposition right before the local elections," Radev commented on the one-vote-one-lev rule. "I strongly hope that parties will strike a good balance between their own interests and the public interests," he said, adding that the big problem is not the amount of the subsidy but rather the lack of a mechanism that treats parties equally when it comes to financing.

Radev called for an end to speculations that he is stopping the construction of the Hemus motorway and obstructing Bulgaria's infrastructural development. He apparently referred to his attempt to prevenet revisions to the State Property Act which streamlined the procedure for expropriation of private land for the needs of major public projects. Radev vetoed the revisions but the legislature overrode the veto - after which he referred them to the Constitutional Court to judge on its compliance with the Constitution.

The President noted that his veto on amendments to the State Property Act and its subsequent referral to the Constitutional Court did not concern motorways, speed roads, gas pipelines, railways and other national projects. IG/TH




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