site.bta National Assembly Hosts First Public Discussion on Majoritarian Election System

National Assembly Hosts First Public Discussion on Majoritarian Election System

Sofia, November 29 (BTA) - The members of the National Referendum Initiative Committee and of the National Assembly Legal Affairs Committee failed to reach a consensus at the first public discussion on a majoritarian election system that took place in Parliament on Tuesday.

The Initiative Committee representatives insisted that the only option that must be considered for parliamentary elections is the one proposed in the referendum: a two-round majoritarian system with an absolute majority. According to Slavi Show scriptwriter Toshko Hadjitodorov, the referendum clearly showed the will of the people and the MPs must comply with it.

The MPs and the attending experts stressed that the referendum results are not mandatory, and that the Central Election Commission decision is being challenged before the Supreme Administrative Court.

The experts agreed that the best option would be to introduce a mixed election system, citing the example of Germany. "A two-round majoritarian system with an absolute majority does not exist in the EU Member States," the experts argued. Most EU citizens vote in a proportional representation system, and in a mixed system in some cases. According to information of the Institute for Public Environment Development, a system like the one proposed in the referendum can be found in Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Former constitutional judge Emilia Droumeva argued that the introduction of a two-round majoritarian system with an absolute majority would throw the country back 27 years, when such a system existed in Bulgaria between 1953 and 1990.

Transparency International - Bulgaria presented an analysis, according to which the proposed system creates a potential for an increase of corruption and vote buying.