site.btaMRF Won't Support Majoritarian Voting System

MRF Won't Support Majoritarian Voting System

Sofia, June 14 (BTA) - The parliamentary group of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) has decided against support for a bill to amend the Election Code which will introduce a majoritarian voting system. This emerged from a statement to the media by MRF deputy floor leader Yordan Tsonev. At a meeting of the parliamentary legal affairs committee on Tuesday Hamid Hamid and Yordan Tsonev backed the bill due to their personal convictions, said Tsonev. However, at a meeting of the parliamentary group later, the MRF decided that the bill isn't beneficial for Bulgaria.

"The majoritarian element should be strengthened but this bill will cause chaos, large groups of people will be left without representation and it is unclear how the legislature will work with so many majoritarian MPs who don't have a unifying platform," said Tsonev.

He said there were different opinions within the MRF on the majoritarian voting system. Some MPs supported the bill, arguing that the MRF won't lose ground in a majoritarian vote. "Two million votes are enough to launch a serious debate and understand the reasons for such a overwhelming support for an election technique which is quite controversial," he said.

Asked whether the MRF parliamentary group had cleared their decision with the MRF honorary chairman Ahmed Dogan, Tsonev said they didn't because it was on the current agenda.

The bill is expected to be voted on first reading on Wednesday.