site.btaNational Security Bill Approved Provisionally

National Security Bill Approved Provisionally

Sofia, May 20 (BTA) - A Bill on the Management and Functioning
of the National Security Protection System was approved
provisionally by Parliament on first reading Wednesday. The vote
was 114 to 32, with 1 abstention. The bill, moved by Tsvetan
Tsvetanov (GERB) and other MPs, was supported by the
parliamentary groups of GERB, the Reformist Bloc, the Patriotic
Front, the Bulgarian Democratic Centre, ABV and the Movement for
Rights and Freedoms (MRF). The votes "against" came from
BSP-Left Bulgaria and Ataka. One Ataka member abstained from
voting.

Tsvetanov said that the bill has been put to a broad public
discussion and its sponsors have taken into account the
opposition's recommendations. According to him, the bill pays
particular attention to the Council on Security, which will be
an advisory and coordinating body with the Council of Ministers.
The Council on Security will be chaired by the Prime Minister
and will be staffed by government ministers and leaders of
security services. The President will be able to attend its
meetings at his convenience. The bill contains detailed
provisions about parliamentary and civic oversight of security
services, Tsvetanov said.

Vladimir Toshev (GERB) said the future law will coordinate the
work of the civilian and military intelligence agencies which
have shared or overlapping duties. At present these services, as
well as the National Bodyguard Service, operate according to
internal regulations which are top secret.

Angel Naydenov (BSP-Left Bulgaria) said that this and other
bills on the special services have been awaited for 25 years.
The proposed legislation takes into account many of the
recommendations made during earlier discussions, Naydenov said.
He noted, however, that the crisis response procedure needs
further elaboration and the question of responding to
cybersecurity dangers should be addressed.

According to Aihan Etem (MRF), this is a good step forward. He
said it is a positive thing that security service expenditures
will be subject to parliamentary oversight. The discussions on
new security legislation should be used to rethink the national
security doctrine in which Bulgarian Muslims should be viewed as
a natural barrier to fundamentalists, not as a threat, Etem
said.

Atanas Atanassov (Reformist Bloc) said that his group would
support the bill on first reading because it is necessary for
the functioning of the overall national security system, but it
will propose changes before the second reading.

Dessislav Choukolov (Ataka) wondered whether the bill is about
"national security" or "colonial security."

Velizar Enchev (independent) said that before the second reading
of the bill he will propose that members of Parliament be
included in the Council on Security with the Council of
Ministers.