site.btaParliament Extends by Three Weeks Term for Submitting Motions vis-a-vis Bill Amending Constitution

Parliament Extends by Three Weeks Term for Submitting Motions vis-a-vis Bill Amending Constitution

Sofia, September 29 (BTA) - In a 103-0 vote with five abstentions, Parliament Tuesday extended by three weeks the term for submitting motions vis-a-vis the Bill to Amend and Supplement the Constitution, between its first- and second-reading debate. The motion to extend the term was moved by head of ad-hoc committee in charge of discussing the Bill Amending and Supplementing the Constitution Dimiter Lazarov.

The crucial bill was passed at first reading on September 23, in a 184-34 vote with eight abstentions.

Lazarov's motion was put to the vote after Parliament's extraordinary sitting on Tuesday failed to start on time due to lack of quorum. National Assembly Chairperson Tsetska Tsacheva called an extraordinary meeting of the Parliament's presiding body after three failed attempts to open the plenary sitting. Only the fourth counting showed the presence of quorum, so that the motion could be put to the vote and ultimately, passed.

After an hour and a half's work on the bill on pre-school and school education in respect of which two parties of the opposition: the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, voiced remarks and disagreement in principle, the extraordinary sitting had to be terminated over lack of quorum. Tsacheva said that the next regular sitting of Parliament starts at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.