site.btaMore Than 2,000 People to Be Involved in Section Election Commissions Abroad

More Than 2,000 People to Be Involved in Section Election Commissions Abroad

Sofia, March 21 (BTA) - The Foreign Ministry's Permanent Secretary Elena Shekerletova Tuesday said that 2,049 people will be involved in 371 section election commissions abroad.

Shekerletova, who heads the Foreign Ministry's working group organizing the March 26 parliamentary elections abroad, said those involved are 208 staff members of the diplomatic and consular representations, about 411 representatives of parties and coalitions, 205 staff members of the Foreign Ministry and other institutions, and 1,225 representatives of the Bulgarian communities.

She commented that this showed the strong commitment of the Bulgarian communities abroad. On January 27, a day after the President set a date for the elections, the Foreign Ministry started active contacts with 122 countries where Bulgaria has an embassy, a consulate or an accredited ambassador.

Seventy countries gave permission or accepted the notification, as a result of which 371 voting sections will be opened.

The valid applications for voting abroad number 45,071: 19,000-plus in Turkey, 5,300 in Britain, 3,000 in Spain, 2,800 in the United States, 2,750 in Germany, and 1,418 in Greece.

As usual, Bulgarians who are abroad on Election Day can go to a voting section, show an ID, sign a declaration that they have not exercised their right to vote, and cast a ballot.

There will not be voting sections in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Mongolia, Indonesia, North Korea, Pakistan and Ethiopia due to the high risk of war or the negligible number of voters and the lack of interest in setting up a voting section.

There are cities, embassies and consulates with more than one voting section. There are four of them at the Bulgarian Embassy in London, three each at the embassy in Berlin and the consulate general in Munich, and three at the embassies in Madrid and Paris each.

Thirty-five voting sections will open in Turkey, whose authorities have stated a readiness to provide public order around the voting sections. Each country which has allowed the elections to be held in its territory is bound to do this.

Invoking its legislation, Germany has granted permission for voting only at the embassies, consulates and honorary consuls' offices, and not in the 17 towns and cities with the largest Bulgarian population.

The ballot materials have been sent to about one third of the voting sections abroad. All the rest will be delivered by Thursday.