site.btaPresident's Press Secretariat Refutes Allegations of Defence Act Veto Error

Sofia, October 13 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev's press secretariat on Friday refuted media reports that the President's lawyers made a mistake by writing in a presidential decree that Radev was vetoing the whole act amending the Defence and Armed Forces Act, while in fact the veto applied only to some of the amendments.

The press secretariat quoted the Bulgarian Constitution as saying that when exercising his right to veto, the President must veto the whole act, regardless of whether he challenges it in its entirety or only some provisions in it.

Therefore, the presidential decree correctly vetoed the whole act amending the Defence and Armed Forces Act, although the President questioned only some of the provisions.

In his veto, announced on October 9, Radev challenged clauses concerning heightened requirements for holders of the post of Permanent Secretary of Defence and a rule whereby persons who have acquired a senior military rank should be presented to the National Assembly's Defence Committee. The act amending the Defence and Armed Forces Act was adopted by the National Assembly on second reading on September 27.