site.btaPresident Radev Vetoes Election Code Amendments

Sofia, September 17 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev's decree
vetoing amendments to the Election Code which were adopted
earlier on Thursday was filed with the Registry Office, said
Parliament Deputy Chair Valeri Simeonov. The decree was sent to
the Legal Affairs Committee.

Earlier in the day, President Rumen Radev said he would veto the
 Election Code amendments. Asked if he saw  grounds for a veto
on the revisions which are being adopted, he said:
"Categorically."

In addition to viewing the amendments as an attempt to leave
open the option of election rigging, Radev saw an economic
aspect to them, arguing that investing in voting machines would
become pointless.

The President said: "The power-holders are clearly trying to 
share out the rest of the portions and make sure once again that
  they can impact the elections and manipulate them at will." He
 added that the radicalization of the protest was "a normal
reaction" at a time when society had spelled out its demands and
 then people and protesters were offended, ignored and some were
 even beaten up.

Bulgaria is part of Europe and significantly, the European
Parliament is holding a debate on the state of democracy and the
 rule of law, while the Bulgarian Parliament denies that the
problem exists, said Radev.

He also said that the future governments and generations would
have to pay for Borissov's sins and the loans raised by his
government.

Commenting on the actions of the National Service for
Protection, whose officers took protesting mothers of disabled 
children out of the Parliament building on Wednesday, the
President said the officers were acting on the instructions of
"the keeper of the National Assembly" - a reference to 
Parliament Chair Tsveta Karayancheva.

Radev answered reporters' questions after attending a liturgy at
 the St Sophia Church for the Day of Sofia, marked on the feast
day of St Sophia and her daughters Hope, Faith and Charity. 
RY,RI/DD