Electoral Code: Key Bulgarian Parties Meeting over President's Veto

Domestic | May 10, 2016, Tuesday // 11:32|  views

Bulgaria's Prime Minister and GERB leader Boyko Borisov and his deputy at the party, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, entering Parliament to take part in meetings on the Electoral Code on May 10, 2016. Photo: BGNES

Representatives of three of the four parties forming or backing Bulgaria's coalition government are holding talks over the vet of President Plevneliev on text of the country's recently passed electoral legislation.

Among those taking part are Prime Minister and head of the main ruling party GERB, Boyko Borisov, his deputy TsvetaN Tsvetanov, Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova, the co-heads of the Patriotic Front coaliton which backs the cabinet, and two representatives of the Reformist Bloc's key Bulgaria of Citizens Movement (DBG).

An earlier meeting on Tuesday morning only involved GERB's leadership, but after days of talks of political leaders and Bulgarian expats brokered by the Ombudsman, political parties agreed to consider a joint reaction to the veto.

President Plevneliev on Saturday returned to Parliament a section of the newly-amended Electoral Code which restricts voting options for Bulgarians living out of the country.

With limitations to the numbers of and conditions for opening polling stations abroad, Plevneliev believes an unconstituional barrier is posed for some Bulgarian expats based on their living standard.

If changes are definitive, a number of Bulgarian voters abroad would theoretically have to travel up to hundreds of kilometers to reach a polling station or a diplomatic mission to cast a ballot.

Amendments were put forward by the Patriotic Front (and later passed by MPs) on the grounds that the move would mitigate the impact of mass - and ill-regulated - voting in Turkey for "certain parties".

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Tags: electoral code, election law, polling stations, expats, Boyko Borisov, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, GERB, Patriotic Front, Reformist Bloc

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