site.btaGERB Proposes Makeover of Election System in Line with Recent Referendum

GERB Proposes Makeover of Election System in Line with Recent Referendum

Sofia, May 10 (BTA) - The ruling GERB party moved a bill of amendments to the Election Code that proposes a complete makeover of the election system and replacement of the proportional representation election of Parliament by a majoritarian vote in two rounds. The proposed changes are in line with the proposals in a referendum held in November 2016 and supported by over 2.5 million Bulgarians.

Opinion on the proposed changes differ within the ruling coalition and this has been clear ever since GERB and their minor partner in the government coalition, the United Patriots, negotiated their government programme.

GERB floor leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov is adamant that this is not going to cause a rift between the partners. He said a proof of that is that GERB and the United Patriots are moving before the end of this week revisions to the concessions legislation in order to avoid European Commission sanctions.

In the draft revisions proposed by GERB, Bulgaria is divided into 240 single-mandate constituencies which will elect their MP in a fully majoritarian vote in two rounds with absolute majority. The constituency election commissions will have 13 members.

Active voter registration will be required for overseas voting and this is expected to give a realistic picture about Bulgarian voters abroad, said GERB's Daniel Kirilov. Bulgarians abroad will vote for an MP in the constituency where they last had a permanent residence registration. The voting process abroad is expected to be facilitated by remote voting and machine voting, Kirilov added.

The GERB bill also proposes an immediate reduction of the party subsidy to 1 lev from the present 11 lev per vote.

Such a subsidy reduction was one of the proposals in the November 2016 referendum.

Tsvetanov said that what GERB are doing is take heed of the wish of over 2.5 million Bulgarians and urged the other parties in Parliament to do the same.

It transpired on Wednesday that Volya will support GERB's proposal for revisions. Announcing the decision of his group, Volya leader Vesselin Mareshki said that he personally has previously voted "for" some of the referendum propositions and "against" others but "now that there is a clear will, we will back it".

The Socialists' group in Parliament as well as the Movement for Rights and Freedoms have made it clear that they are in favour of a mixed election system with elements of proportional and majoritarian representation.