site.btaPresident Vetoes Controversial Revisions to Election Code

ESD 13:18:31 25-02-2019
SN1318ES.109
109 - POLITICS - PRESIDENT- ELECTION CODE - VETO

President Vetoes
Controversial
Revisions to Election Code


Sofia, February 25 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev has vetoed controversial revisions to the Election Code. He announced his decision in an address to the nation Monday saying that the debate focused on the changed rules on preference voting and "distracted attention from other important revisions which divert us from a fair and democratic election process".

"The package of changes to the Election Code weakens the mechanisms for guaranteeing fair elections," the President said.

The controversial revisions to the Election Code were adopted on February 15 to weaken the weight of preference voting whereby voters are able to mark their preference for a specific candidate on a party ticket and thus improve his chances of being elected. They also delayed the phasing out of paper ballots and their replacement by machine voting, and reduced the opportunities for contesting election results before the court.

The revisions were proposed by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and were supported by GERB and the National Federation for Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB) of the power-sharing United Patriots coalition. Ataka did not vote and the VMRO of the United Patriots were against the revisions, as were the Socialists who decided to leave Parliament until the majority undo the changes.

Three days after the revisions' adoption, GERB changed their mind and said they would reinstate the old rules. It started the usual legislative procedure towards that but the parliamenary legal affairs committee said it would wait to see the President's position. MORE/