Bulgaria MPs Let President Have His Way with Disputed Rallies Act

Bulgarian President has been successful in amending some provisions of the Demonstrations Act. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria’s Parliament has complied with the veto imposed by President Georgi Parvanov on the disputed Demonstrations and Meetings Act.

In January, Parvanov imposed a veto on the Act over controversial provisions stipulating the introduction of a “sanitary cordon” space around a number of public buildings where no demonstrators would be allowed.

Parvanov disagreed with the fact that the zones forbidden for protesters were not specified in the law, and amended it by suggesting they should be between 5 m and 20 m around the respective buildings.

121 MP votes are needed to overrule the suspensive veto of the Bulgarian President; the Demonstrations Act veto was upheld by the Parliament as 12 MPs voted in favor of the amended law, 14 voted against, and 68 abstained.

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