site.btaBorissov: GERB to Table Draft of New Constitution on Monday

GERB Submits
Draft of
New Constitution


Sofia, August 17 (BTA) - GERB Floor Leader Daniela Daritkova on
 Monday submitted to the Registry of Parliament a draft of a new
  Constitution of Bulgaria, the GERB party said. The document
was  sent to all floor leaders and independent MPs in the 44th 
National Assembly before invitations to formal consultations are
 sent to all  parliamentary groups early next week, said the
party.

GERB also submitted draft amendments to the Election Code
introducing machine voting in all voting sections with more than
 300 voters.

A new chapter of the Election Code proposes that a Grand
National Assembly should be elected by a mixed electoral system,
 with 200 MPs elected by proportional representation and the
other 200 by majoritarian voting.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov dismissed as a
 lie allegations that GERB and himself are seeking to delay the
elections and to prevent the formation of a caretaker cabinet
and that they are clutching at power. In a Facebook post 
Borissov also denied that this is a constitution of GERB and 
himself. "We did draft it and we are opening the debate, but the
  Grand National Assembly can change every word of the proposal
 and come up with other motions, too," he argued.

"Our only objective is to enable the people to have their
choice, to make a decision. The people wants justice, and this
can be achieved by a new constitution," Borissov said.

On August 14, he proposed the convocation of a Grand National 
Assembly to amend the existing Constitution, mainly in the part
 concerning the judicial system. He said that he will step down
 as prime minister on the very day when the current National 
Assembly resolves on elections for a Grand National Assembly.

Borissov said he wants to see a Grand National Assembly convened
  as soon as possible. "We must have 120 signatures on September
   2, which is why you must hold talks with all parliamentary 
parties so that we can collect these 120 signatures," he said,
addressing National Assembly Chair Tsveta Karayancheva, Daniela
Daritkova and GERB MP Menda Stoyanova.

Karayancheva said for her part that meetings will be scheduled
in search of support for the proposed decision.

"This can take  two or three months, but when it happens, the
winner of the elections that will run this country will be aware
 that it is  backed by enormous voter support," the Prime
Minister added.

They were referring to the first plenary sitting of the present
National Assembly after the summer recess and the simple
majority of MPs required to move for the convocation of a Grand
National Assembly under the effective Constitution.

Borissov asked the GERB MPs to sound out Parliament about the
chances of garnering a two-thirds majority (160 votes out of a
total of 240) needed to carry the motion for Grand National
Assembly elections.

The Prime Minister added that Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav
Donchev and a group of MPs will propose amendments to the
Election Code making  it possible to purchase or rent voting
machines, which disproves allegations that GERB is opposed to
machine voting. 

GERB's proposals for a new Constitution

GERB's proposal includes halving the members of Parliament to
120 from the present 240.

The term in office of the Prosecutor General, the President of
the Supreme Cassation Court and of the Supreme Administrative
Court (the Big Three in the judiciary) is reduced to five years
from seven years. Also, they will be appointed and discharged by
 the Judicial Council of Judges and the Judicial Council of
Prosecutors, respectively, with no right to re-election.

The President loses his control over the election of the Big
Three and no longer decrees their election.

The Council of Judges consists of 15 members, including the
Presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Supreme
Administrative Court as ex-officio members. Six members are
elected by Parliament by a two-thirds majority and seven are
elected directly by the judges according to a procedure set out
by a law.

The Council of Prosecutors has 11 members, including five
elected by a majority of two-thirds in Parliament, four elected
directly by the prosecutors and one by investigators.

Both the Council of Prosecutors and the Council of Judges gain
the right to initiate legislation. 

In addition to proposing the budgets of the judicial
organizations, the Justice Minister also manages the properties
of the judiciary. The minister may be involved in organizing
training for judges, prosecutors and investigators but loses the
 right to propose appointments, dismissals, promotions,
demotions and transfers of judges, prosecutors and
investigators, or to nominate a Prosecutor General.

The Council of Judges and the Council of Prosecutors will each
have an inspectorate with a chief inspector elected by a
parliamentary majority of two-thirds, and five inspectors.

The Grand National Assembly ceases to exist as an option and an
ordinary National Assembly takes over its functions.
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