site.btaParliament Adopts 56 Laws and 60 Resolutions During Fifth Session

Parliament Adopts 56 Laws and 60 Resolutions During Fifth Session

Sofia, May 4 (BTA) - During its fifth session, which lasted from January 11 until April 27, 2016, Bulgaria's 43rd National Assembly adopted 56 laws, 60 resolutions and one declaration, the legislature reported on Wednesday. The lawmakers held 47 plenary sittings during the session, including three extraordinary ones.

The period saw the submission of 106 bills to the National Assembly, including 70 bills moved by MPs; 57 draft resolutions, including 45 ones proposed by MPs; and three draft declarations.

The National Assembly spent 55:30 hours on parliamentary oversight during its fifth session. This included 47:30 hours of regular question time and 8 hours of quick questions time. Regular question time was held in 13 plenary sittings on Fridays, and quick questions time was held in four sittings.

MPs raised 793 questions and 49 queries with cabinet ministers over the period in review. The ministers responded to 548 questions and 31 queries.

Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov answered the most questions and queries: 88. He is followed on the list by Roumyana Buchvarova, Deputy Prime Minister for Coalition Policy and Public Administration and Minister of Interior (78); Meglena Kuneva, Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies, Coordination and Institutional Affairs and Minister of Education and Science (65); Liliyana Pavlova, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works (53); Dessislava Taneva, Minister of Agriculture and Food (38); Ivailo Kalfin, Deputy Prime Minister for Demographic and Social Policy and Minister of Labour and Social Policy (34); and Ivelina Vassileva, Minister of Environment and Water (33).

The largest number of questions and queries were raised by members of the parliamentary group of the Reformist Bloc, who asked 286 questions and 7 queries, followed by BSP Left Bulgaria (226+11), ABV (75+7), the Patriotic Front (67+11), GERB (40+6), the Bulgarian Democratic Centre (36+4), Ataka (37+1) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (12+1). Independent MPs raised 32 questions and one query.

Fifty questions were asked to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his deputies during quick questions time.

During its fifth session, the National Assembly defeated a no-confidence motion against the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, which was themed around its healthcare policy.