site.btaVazrazhdane Submits Amendments to Flag Act

Vazrazhdane submitted a bill to amend and supplement the Act on the State Seal and the National Flag of the Republic of Bulgaria, the party's press center said Thursday.

"The Act on the State Seal and National Flag of the Republic of Bulgaria was promulgated in 1998 and does not provide for a ban on the hoisting and placing in its vicinity of flags and symbols of interstate organizations of which the country is a member", the bill states. "On the other hand, all state and municipal buildings, halls, etc. display the flags of two interstate organizations of which Bulgaria is a member - the European Union and NATO. The Bulgarian state flag has been reduced to the equal and equivalent status of non-state organizations".

Vazrazhdane proposes that the flags of the EU and NATO not be placed alongside the Bulgarian flag, because the placement of the Bulgarian state flag alongside the flags of interstate organizations not only constitutes a violation of the Act on the State Seal and the National Flag of the Republic of Bulgaria by circumventing its meaning and spirit with a by-law, but also, in their words, constitutes a "national humiliation and a blow to the sovereignty of Bulgaria, which has been going on for 20 years".

The bill sponsors also point to the international practice that has regulated this issue in other NATO member states such as the USA. Text in the US Act states:

"No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy." Vazrazhdane says that it is evident from the abovementioned text that the prohibition against displaying any flag, pennant or insignia of various organizations is imperative. "Only the flag of the United Nations is permitted to be placed in the headquarters building of the organization in New York", the message reads.

The Vazrazhdane MPs propose these additions to guarantee the independent display of the national flag of the Republic of Bulgaria in all public buildings, during official celebrations and festivities, in front of and in Bulgarian diplomatic missions, as well as in the units of the Bulgarian army, and on the ships of the Bulgarian Navy.