Man Detained in Protest over Bulgaria Election Rules

Demonstrators in front of Parliament venting showing their anger at the proposed Electoral Code on April 26, 2016. Photo: BGNES

The Bulgarian Interior Ministry has confirmed that a man was arrested on Tuesday evening as a demonstration was ongoing against proposed amendments to the Electoral Code.

The protest took place in front of Parliament, as MPs were holding a marathon session to vote on controversial changes to election rules which went into the small hours of Wednesday.  

Police say he was arrested over hooliganism, in what  they insist was not allowed protest action.

According to the Ministry's press office, as some demonstrators started pelting Parliament building with food and other objects, also targeting lawmakers that were going out of the building.

Different sources suggest a total of several hundred people attended the protest.

Some of the proposed amendments to the Election Code, including a shorter election campaign, a ban on releasing opinion poll results, and deregistration from electoral rolls of those who didn't cast a ballot, were reversed (in the latter case, the conditions were amended). Other controversial issues are still to be put to a final vote.

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