site.btaCivic Movement for Presidential Republic Begins Establishing Structures in All Municipalities

The Civic Movement for Presidential Republic will begin establishing structures in all municipalities in the country, Krasimir Yankov, the national coordinator of the movement and initiator of its establishment, said on Wednesday at a BTA press conference in Veliko Tarnovo.

Yankov explained that the local structures should be established by July. Another important task would be to organize volunteers who will explain in meetings and discussions the advantages of the presidential republic and the change in the state model. "This will provide feedback to the people who want real and radical change in the state structure," he pointed out.

In early September, delegated representatives of the volunteers from all municipalities will make a decision on what changes in the Constitution will members of the association stand for. "Everyone who wants to participate and has their own vision of what the presidential republic in Bulgaria should be like will be a participant, registered and filed in the Civil Movement for a Presidential Republic," Yankov pointed out, adding that based on their proposal, the National Assembly will be requested to schedule a referendum.

Yankov expects that over 400,000 signatures will be collected in the scheduled referendum for a presidential republic, and there is a possibility that they will be close to a million.

After the referendum to change the state structure, the current National Assembly must be dissolved and a Grand National Assembly must be convened, which would take place within a year.

"The model around the world for a pure presidential republic is for the president to combine the post of prime minister or to appoint him," Yankov pointed out and added that the movement's programme includes the principle that the president is responsible for the executive branch.

This means that the Council of Ministers will be appointed by the president elected by a majority of all those with the right to vote, that parliament, which is a legislative body, will have control, as will the judiciary, and that the government appointed by the president will also have a clear mandate, in accordance with the president's mandate, Yankov said.