site.bta ABV Will Not Join Tabling of Draft Constitutional Changes in Parliament, Ataka Ready for Talks on Revisions if Invited
ABV Will Not Join Tabling of Draft Constitutional Changes in Parliament, Ataka Ready for Talks on Revisions if Invited
Sofia, May 22 (BTA) - The MPs of ABV will not join the tabling
of the draft constitutional changes in Parliament, ABV Deputy
Chair Roumen Petkov told a news conference Friday. In Petkov's
words, the bill contains ideas which are mutually exclusive
with those set in the draft amendments to the Judiciary Act
already tabled by ABV. This parliamentary group's bill is the
product of a wide public and professional discussion and ABV
will not give up on it, he said.
The amendments to the Constitution proposed by the ruling
majority concern the judicial reform and the division of the
Supreme Judicial Council into two colleges. It transpired on
Thursday that over 100 signatures in favour of submitting a
formal proposal for constitutional amendments have already been
collected, and the required minimum number is 60 signatures.
Petkov recalled that ABV has also put forward a proposal for
establishing a Judicial Reform Council with the National
Assembly, where the future reform can be discussed in dept. This
idea has received broad support from MPs but no progress has
been made on it yet, he noted.
"We declare our will to participate in a constructive debate on
the constitutional changes, but we will not join a debate going
beyond the topic of amendments to the Constitution outside of
the Judiciary's sphere," Petkov said. According to him, part of
the ideas for constitutional revisions are within the powers
of a Grand National Assembly.
Ataka leader Volen Siderov told journalists in Parliament that
he is ready to talk about the constitutional changes proposed by
GERB and the Reformist Bloc if he is invited by them. He
added, however, that he prefers a national referendum to be
held before amending the Basic Law or other acts important for
Bulgaria. This requires changes in the law on referenda because
it is unrealistic when it comes to the number of signatures
required for initiating a referendum.
Siderov recalled that according to his party, the draft
constitutional amendments are aimed at establishing control over
the Supreme Judicial Council because it appoints prosecutors
and judges. The Ataka parliamentary group is strongly reserved
towards the proposed revisions also because these are not
explained well enough and because GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan
Tsvetanov has not invited Ataka to debates on the bill. If
invited to such a meeting, Ataka would ask whether the proposed
amendments do not lead to a Grand National Assembly, Siderov
said in explanation of how the power holders should approach his
party if they want its support.
According to Siderov, the draft constitutional changes should be
debated not within a committee but in a wider and more open
format with the participation of magistrates and media.
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