Bulgarian MPs Probe Ex Presidential Administration's Pardons

105 MPs have voted for a probe of the former Bulgarian presidential administration in their granting of pardons to felons and of Bulgarian passports. File photo

A temporary inquiry parliamentary committee will probe now former President, Georgi Parvanov, and his Deputy, Angel Marin, in granting pardons to felons and Bulgarian citizenship between 2002 and 2012.

105 Members of the Parliament voted for; 46 against, and 1 abstained.

From those for – 86 are from the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, 8 from the right-wing Blue Coalition and 1 from the far-right, nationalist Ataka.

The majority of those against were MPs from the opposition, left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP.

The committee will have 13 members – 6 from GERB, 2 from BSP, 2 from the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, 1 from the Blue Coalition and 1 independent.

It was reported earlier Wednesday that a new problem has emerged with the decrees of former Bulgarian Vice President Marin for granting pardon to criminals and Bulgarian citizenship, since they have not been signed in the way postulated by the Constitution.

According to current Justice Minister, Diana Kovacheva, during both of Marins' terms in office the decrees had not been signed by the Justice Minister as required.

This is just the next in a series of blunders committed by the administration of former President, Parvanov, after it emerged the latter failed to issue a decree for Marin's second term appointment, which was confirmed on February 7 in an official letter sent by the new administration of President, Rosen Plevneliev.

During his two terms as VP, Marin had pardoned 533 felons, some convicted for grave crimes such as murder and rape.