site.btaGERB Proposes Constitutional Changes to Remove Parliamentary Immunity of MPs for Indictable Offences

GERB Proposes Constitutional Changes to Remove Parliamentary Immunity of  MPs for Indictable Offences

Sofia, October 25 (BTA) - GERB starts consultations with the
other parliamentary parties on constitutional changes that will
remove the parliamentary immunity of MPs for indictable
offences, National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva told a news
briefing on Monday. She said the legislative initiaitive was
prompted by recent incidents in which Bulgarian people were
outraged by the rowdy behaviour of MPs misusing their
parliamentarian status.

Tsacheva was obviously referring to MPs Volen Siderov and
Dessislav Choukolov of the nationalist Ataka party who recently
got themselves in a series of brawls apparently provoked by them
 at public places. Siderov is known to have a long history of
such behaviour, including on domestic and international flights,
 hotels, restaurants or out there in the street, and police have
 always seemed to have problems with how to treat him due to his
 MP immunity. The latest of his spectacles occurred on the night
 after the October 25 local elections, when the Ataka leader
turned the TV cameras onto him and away from the election
results, by provoking clashes with students in the National
Academy of Theatrical and Film Art.

If the proposed revisions go through and Article 70 of the
Constitution is removed, deputies will only remain immune to
prosecution for the opinions they express and for their vote in
Parliament.

GERB starts the talks with the other parliamentary forces on
Tuesday.

"I don't think we were late with this change. We will need a
constitutional majority but we make a commitment to seek support
 from the other forces in Parliament as well," said Tsacheva.

The effective Bulgarian legislation ensures protection of MPs
against criminal prosecution and Parliament's express consent is
 required each time the prosecution authorities want to
prosecute a deputy. A motion for stripping the MP of immunity
needs to be placed with the legislature for each indictable
offence.