site.btaMPs Vote on Amendments to Local Government Law

Parliament adopted at first reading Tuesday amendments to the Local Government and Local Administration Act, submitted by Yordan Ivanov from Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria and a group of MPs. These provide for live broadcasts of the open meetings of municipal councils and their committees, as well as the creation of a public register of questions of municipal councillors to the mayor of the municipality and the corresponding answers. The aim is to create transparency in the work of municipal councils. A total of 123 MPs voted in favour, none opposed, and 24 abstained.

The draft proposes to publish in advance the agenda for the work of the municipal council on the website of the respective municipality, and to publish the minutes of the meetings of the municipal councils. The draft law provides for decisions of municipal councils taken in open session to be adopted by a roll-call vote, which will be recorded in the minutes of the meetings.

In the course of the debate, the BSP for Bulgaria and the MRF questioned whether municipalities, especially the smaller ones, would be able to provide the necessary funds for the purchase of live broadcasting systems.