site.btaGERB Floor Leader Tsvetanov: Referendum Served all Parties

GERB Floor Leader Tsvetanov: Referendum Served all Parties

Sofia, November 23 (BTA) - In the opinion of GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the situation involving the recent referendum relevant to election rules and party subsidies has served all parties without exception: there was no discussion or opinion before that, but everyone has started to talk how detrimental that is. 'With their tacit agreement everyone aimed to achieve their political intentions to liquidate GERB,' he said.

In Tsvetanov's opinion, all who now say that majority voting would create problems in the election system should have done everything possible to explain the consequences of the referendum and its outcome.

GERB unequivocally backs the position of those over 2.5 million Bulgarian citizens who voted for the majoritarian system, Tsvetanov said. In his opinion, the sooner the revisions of the Election Code begin to be discussed, the better, but this time that cannot pass without public discussion.

GERB will decide whether to table the bill of Ombudsman Maya Manolova or another one after a legal analysis has been made.

At this point no parliamentary group is considering the variant of tabling Manolova's draft Election Code bill, which introduces two-round majoritarian elections with absolute majority, a survey of Mediapool e-zine among the parties represented in the National Assembly shows.

GERB said that they have not decided definitively but rather think the draft has too many flaws. The Bulgarian Socialist Party is against a purely majoritarian system and thinks its introduction is detrimental. Both the socialists and, to some extent, the Reformist Bloc, claim that if the election legislation is to be 'repaired' it would be best to introduce the German mixed system where the number of proportionate representation and majority candidates is equal.

ABV, who registered as a party in the referendum and promoted 'yes' answers to all three questions, also expressed doubts about the bill prepared by Manolova. In their opinion, the texts have not been thought over and are controversial.

The Patriotic Front and Ataka are definitely against, while the Bulgarian Democratic Centre is still considering, but rather leans towards the opinion that the majoritarian system should not be introduced at once.

The latest date for extraordinary parliamentary elections is April 2, 2017, while an earlier possible date is March 20, 2017, Tsvetanov said. He recalled that GERB will return the mandate of the president to form a new government and that BSP would do the same.