site.btaPresident Holds Talks on Possible Constitutional Changes with Bar Association, Says Bulgarians Can Decide on That

January 16 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev met here
Thursday with representatives of the Supreme Bar Association to
discuss with them the need for constitutional changes concerning
 the place of the judiciary. At the opening of the meeting, the
President said it is important to say that he only discusses the
 matter with Bulgarian citizens through public and professional
organizations, and the Bulgarian state institutions.

"If somebody else is making other deals [on the matter], I want
to point out that only Bulgarian deputies and the Bulgarian
President can propose changes in the Constitution. We can study
other countries' experience and foreign models but the decision
will be made by Bulgarian people. Anything else is voluntary
surrender of sovereignty," said Radev.

The President's remarks may have been prompted by comments in
the news media that Bulgaria is being pressured into revising
its Constitution. Those followed a Bulgarian National Radio
interview earlier in January with US Under Secretary of State
for Political Affairs David Hale where he said that Bulgaria and
 the US recently agreed to hold a dialogue on constitutional
reform.

The President also said that the aim of his consultations on
possible constitutional changes is to identify problems and
possible solutions - not just in the judiciary but in a number
of other important areas as well.

The President of the Bar Association, Ralitsa Negentsova, said
that constitutional revisions is a sensitive issue - even
painful for people at times. "This is why these are questions
that should be discussed at expert level, in detail and
carefully, and never emotionally," she said.

The Bar Association proposed to the President a constitutional
revision to allow them to request interpretation of the
Constitution. They also suggest that the prosecution service
should be removed from the judiciary and made a stand-alone
service. They also propose that the supervision of all
prosecutors be scrapped in the powers of the Prosecutor General.
 They are supportive of the introduction of an individual
constitutional complaint but warn that it would require
carefully considered and detailed constitutional regulation.

The President started his consultations on possible changes in
the Constitution in mid-December and has already discussed the
matter with his legal team, the academic community, NGO's and
professional magistrates associations.

The Thursday meeting was also attended by Vice President Iliana
Iotova. LN/RY
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