site.btaUPDATED President to Refer Constitutional Amendments to Constitutional Court, PM Says President Is Interested Party and Can't Be Objective

President Rumen Radev said Wednesday that he will refer to the Constitutional Court constitutional amendments adopted earlier in the day by Parliament. Before long, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov commented that the President is an interested party as some of the revisions curtail the President's powers in the appointment of a caretaker government.

President Rumen Radev: "The experiment with the Constitution will cost Bulgarians dearly. As head of State, I am duty-bound to approach the Constitutional Court. It was clear that the revisions as adopted will not address the problems in the administration of justice and will not ensure fair treatment of Bulgarian citizens, which was the purpose of initiating them. To make up for it, these revisions undermine our fundamentals as a democratic and sovereign State committed to the rule of law. These amendments are but a poor disguise for a single target: the ruling parties seek to keep their influence even if they complete lose public trust. By admitting a foreign citizenship in the country's governance they show that they don't have a problem with the existence of double standards and loyalty to Bulgaria."

Prime Minister Denkov reacted: "Obviously, the president is an interested party in this situation and we cannot expect him to objectively assess what was decided about the caretaker governments. In no way are the amendments to the Constitution being made specifically against the President. Any claims that something is being done against a particular person has no basis. The amendments do not do away with caretaker governments - which is what the Venice Commission suggested. Some European countries are absolutely without such governments. I think it has been explained clearly enough that caretaker governments are intended in the Constitution as a transitional period from one parliamentary majority to another parliamentary majority, with the main task of ensuring fair elections." 

MP Antoaneta Tsoneva of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria said she was surprised to hear the President objecting the amendments allowing Bulgarians with dual citizenship to run for Parliament and become cabinet members. She recalled a visit he paid to the US in September 2019 when he said in New York, as he met with members of the Bulgarian community, that Bulgarians with dual citizenship should be allowed to participate effectively in the government of this country. 

During this meeting with expatriate Bulgarians, President Radev told them: “Bulgaria receives more [investment] from Bulgarians abroad than from foreign direct investment, which is why Bulgarians abroad should participate in the government. […] Support  this initiative of mine! Parliament should consider it. I have made a very serious proposal and I will soon make a motivated motion about that.”