site.bta National Assembly Rejects Change of Parliamentary Election System from Proportional Representation to Two-Round Majoritarian

National Assembly Rejects Change of Parliamentary Election System from Proportional Representation to Two-Round Majoritarian

Sofia, June 15 (BTA) - Bulgaria's Parliament Thursday voted down on first reading a bill amending the Election Code that would have replaced proportional representation by a two-round majoritarian system with an absolute majority for parliamentary elections. The vote was 98 in favour (GERB, Volya and one independent MP), 121 against (BSP for Bulgaria, the United Patriots and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and 1 abstention.

This marked a reversal of the MRF's position, which backed the bill at the committee stage and the motion thus reached the full house.

The draft legislation was moved by GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov and a group of MPs. It reckoned with the opinion expressed by over 2.5 million voters at the November 6, 2016 national referendum, Tsvetanov argued during the debate.

Under the bill, the country would have been divided into 240 single-member constituencies. A candidate for Parliament would have to be nominated by a single party, coalition or independent candidate nomination committee in a single constituency. The names, boundaries and numbering of the constituencies would have to be decreed by the President of the Republic on the basis of a uniform representation quota for the entire country depending on population size.

Volya leader Vesselin Mareshki said he could saw fear, hear fear and smell fear because the elections in Bulgaria, just as in other countries like the US, have confirmed that there is a wave of discontent against the status quo. "Let us be humble and listen to the Bulgarian people," he appealed.

Parliament also rejected amendments to the Election Code moved by the MRF. The vote on this bill was 24 in favour, 113 against and 69 abstentions.