site.btaPoliticians React to Adoption of Constitutional Amendments

Politicians reacted to the constitutional amendments adopted by Parliament Wednesday on second out of three readings. 

Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Hristo Ivanov recalled that a series of important changes were passed, the main topic being related to the Judiciary: there being an independent court and an accountable prosecution service. These amendments will be followed by revisions to the Judicial System Act and the procedural acts within the next six months to fully build the new elements in the Judiciary's structure, to ensure the court's independence and the prosecuting magistracy's autonomy in the conditions of accountability and guaranteed efficiency, Ivanov commented.  The caretaker government's model was changed to prevent the President from ruling; there will be an independent caretaker government with powers limited to the organization of general elections, he also said.

Movement for Rights and Freedoms floor leader Delyan Peevski said that he and his colleagues cleared up many things and everything looks all right, but he would comment after Parliament passes the constitutional amendments conclusively on Wednesday because he is superstitious. Peevski replied affirmatively when asked whether the revised draft changes meet the concept his party, GERB-UDF, and Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria had upon proposing the changes. Asked to comment on the MPs of Vazrazhdane and There Is Such a People leaving the plenary hall, Peevski said that Bulgarian citizens have had enough of them, and that Vazrazhdane serves foreign forces and is not a Bulgarian party.

BSP for Bulgaria MP Ivan Ivanov commented that the Judiciary will no longer be independent. The change proposed by the power holders will to a large extent change the work of the judicial system, violating the separation of powers principle set in the Constitution. In his words, the establishment of a supreme prosecutors council, the way the members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) will be elected and the political quotas there show that the National Assembly is opening widely the door to politicians taking control of the Judiciary.

GERB-UDF MP Ekaterina Zaharieva argued that the constitutional amendments allow for the court's independence. She denied the accusations that the public quota on the SJC to be elected by Parliament will be political. The draft texts guarantee that these persons will be party-neutral, she explained. "I believe that when me amend the texts in the Judicial System Act, those who have concerns will be convinced," she added. She thinks the revisions will make the prosecution service accountable. Commenting on the MPs of Vazrazhdane and There Is Such a People leaving the plenary hall before Tuesday's vote, Zaharieva expressed happiness at BSP for Bulgaria staying, because that enriched the debate.

Justice Minister Atanas Slavov commented on bTV that the most decisive step taken through the constitutional revisions is that the prosecutor general will no longer be all-powerful. "Figuratively speaking, the prosecutor general will no longer be master of every prosecutor in the country but the prosecution service's face," Slavov said. The prosecutor general will represent the prosecuting magistracy but will head only the Supreme Prosecution Office. The separate prosecutors will have much greater freedom; they will be able to decide on the cases in accordance with their professional position, opinion, and conscience, Slavov added.