site.bta President Plevneliev: Disregard of the Will of the People Can Lead to a Decline of Statehood Itself

President Plevneliev: Disregard of the Will of the People Can Lead to a Decline of Statehood Itself

Sofia, January 21 (BTA) - Giving up the modern ways of voting and disregard of the will of the people can not only lead to apathy and degradation of democratic values, but also to a decline of statehood itself, President Rosen Plevneliev said. He was speaking at a news conference Thursday, marking the fourth year since he and Vice President Margarita Popova took up office.

According to Plevneliev, a "nay" to the referendum on the part of the National Assembly will also redistribute political space in Bulgaria as nearly 2 million Bulgarians, who supported electronic voting, will feel that they are not represented in the political status quo today.

Whoever wants to win the confidence of the people and to play an essential role in Bulgarian politics in the future should do four simple things: e-government, a fair system of dispensing justice, more referendums and a socially responsible, not oligarchic, economy, the Head of State said.

The revisions to the Constitutions adopted at the end of 2015 are a step forward, the President said, but they gave the impression that there is a lack of courage and political will for a more comprehensive and profound reform of the Bulgarian judicial system. The forthcoming amendments to the Judicial Power Act and the procedural laws, as well as the adoption of powerful anti-corruption legislation, are an opportunity to make up for lost opportunities, Plevneliev said. He added that he will hail any effort to deepen the reform and step up actions on it. Politicians, citizens and magistrates should work together to achieve an independent and effective judicial system which will restore the feeling of justice in the public, he underscored.