Parliamentary Committee Discusses Constitutional Amendments on Second Reading

Valentin Evstatiev

BTA photo

Sofia,

16.12.2023 08:50

(BTA)

On Saturday, the National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Affairs considered draft amendments to the Constitution of Bulgaria on second reading, the legislature said on its website.

If adopted, the revisions will reform the judicial system, limit some of the president's powers, and democratize the election of members of regulatory and control authorities.

On December 8, the full Assembly supported the amendments in principle by a first-reading vote of 164 in favour and 66 against. In keeping with the procedure, the vote came after the amendments failed to get the necessary support of three-quarters two months earlier.

Under the Constitution and according to the procedural rules for amending it, the bill of amendment should be discussed and adopted by three votes on different days. It is considered approved on first reading if it is supported by three-quarters of all MPs. If it receives less than three-quarters but no less than two-thirds of the votes of all MPs, it should be put to further debate between two and five months later. At this point it will be considered approved if backed by no less than two-thirds of all MPs.

Constitutional Affairs Committee Chair Radoslav Cholakov explained that the proposed amendments will be modified between the first and second reading votes, based on opinions expressed during the process of public coordination.

/VE/