site.btaPresident Plevneliev: Creating Obstacles for Bulgarians Abroad to Vote Is Trampling the Constitution

President Plevneliev: Creating Obstacles for Bulgarians Abroad to Vote Is Trampling the Constitution

Sofia, May 9 (BTA) - President Rosen Plevneliev called on political parties to return to the foundations of the democratic State and the Constitution, where it is written that citizens have equal rights. He was answering a question about the restriction of the voting rights of Bulgarians abroad and his vetoing the Election Code amendments pertaining to voting abroad. Plevneliev was speaking at discussion on the occasion of Europe Day, held at the European Commission representation in Sofia. 

The political parties, regardless which they are, must return to the foundations of the democratic State, to read their own Constitution, where it is written that citizens have equal rights and it is clearly and categorically stated that Bulgarians, wherever they may be across the world, must be able to exercise their rights and the State must not be an obstacle, but facilitate this process, the President said.

"If you are creating obstacles for Bulgarians, regardless of which country they are in, to exercise their constitutional right to vote, you are trampling Bulgaria's Constitution. If you are separating Bulgarians into those in Turkey, the US, or Germany, you are already trampling Bulgaria's Constitution," the President said. He called on the MPs to remember the oath they have taken on the first day of the 43rd National Assembly before the people - to observe the Constitution and to serve the people. According to Plevneliev, voting should be made easy for Bulgarians, regardless of where they are in the world.

The President further said that he sees no logic between the Election Code texts pertaining to the voting rights of Bulgarians abroad, and the referendum on electronic voting and the adopted by Parliament texts in support of such voting. "Instead of facilitating the voting for Bulgarians, wherever in the world they may be, knowing that in 2018 this must become a fact through remote electronic voting, they are introducing restrictions. There is no logic," he said. This is the reason he returned this law, the President explained, adding that he hopes there will be responsible debate in Parliament.

At meetings Monday mediated by Ombudsman Maya Manolova with ABV, the Reformist Bloc and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, representatives of Bulgarian expatriates urged support of the President's veto on the provisions about the Abroad constituency and the establishment of voting sections abroad. Also, Bulgarian expatriates demanded constitutuonal changes that will allow them to run for Parliament.

ABV will decide whether to back the veto after they get acquainted with his motives, said ABV deputy leader Roumen Petkov after the meeting.

Speaking at a news conference in Pleven, Nayden Zelenogorski, co-floor leader of the Reformist Bloc and deputy leader of the Bulgaria for the Citizines Movement, said that the Bloc is against compulsory voting. The Reformist Bloc will come up with a position about the vote of Bulgarian expatriates on Tuesday after a meeting of the Bloc's Executive Council and its parliamentary group. He was categorical that it is unacceptable for MPs of the Reformist Bloc to participate together e with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the Bulgarian Socialist Party in a sign-in against the elections rules.

The parliamentary group of the Reformist Bloc is likely to support the presidential veto on changes in the Election Code, Radan Kanev, leader of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB, a party within the Reformist Bloc), said emerging from a meeting with expatriate Bulgarians. A political decision on the issue will be taken after a meeting of the RB Executive Council and its parliamentary group on Tuesday. 
 
The 2014 elections have shown that the more liberal the regime in the polling districts abroad is, the lower the weight of the votes cast in Turkey is. The Monday talks with expatriate Bulgarians focused on the elimination of the false allegations spread out in the society.

Kanev recalled that the RB initiated the creation of an "Abroad" constituency and that it is envisaged in the election campaigns of the Bloc and of GERB. If the presidential veto is upheld in the plenary hall, new Election Code changes will be proposed with the support of a majority that would exclude the Patriotic Front, said the DSB leader.

There is a serious difference in the values, supported by the RB and the nationalists, RB's Korman Ismailov said. "We stake on individual citizens' rights," he noted. According to Ismailov, the nationalists have set an agenda, accepted by GERB and other partners, and this is the reason why the changes should now be re-negotiated. 

DSB does not seek to return in the governance within the incumbent National Assembly, Kanev continued. The party will seek to be back in power on the basis of new election results, he noted adding, however that their goal has never been toppling the incumbent Government. The responsibility for the governance rests with GERB and Boyko Borrissov, while the responsibility for the establishment of dynamic majorities rests with GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov. According to Kanev, Tsvetanov's policy of dynamic majorities has caused the failure of the 43rd National Assembly.