Bulgaria – President vetoes two Bills

Bulgaria is currently experiencing a period of cohabitation. The President is Georgi Purvanov from the Socialist party (BSP); the PM is Boyko Borisov from the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB). There is a single-party GERB government.

Anyway, the Sofia Echo is reporting that on 1 February President Purvanov vetoed two laws, one that amended the Defence and Armed Forces Act and the other that amended the Meetings, Rallies and Demonstrations Act.

The reform of the Defence and Armed Forces Act seems to be getting more publicity. The reform reduced the powers of the President as commander-in-chief, specifying that the head of the general staff would no longer report to the President. The president is said to be opposed to other aspects of the bill as well.

Interestingly, the veto has not caused a rift between the president and the PM. The report states that PM Borisov actually agreed with the president, noting that it was members of the PM’s party who amended the bill. On Nova TV PM Borisov is reported by the Sofia News Agency as saying ““I do not support the President, it is just that this part of the act went through without me reading it, without my knowledge, and my advisors somehow let it through”.

In relation to the Meetings, Rallies and Demonstrations Act, Sofia Echo states: “The controversial law on public assembly, which banned protest rallies in front of Parliament, the Presidency and Government, was returned to MPs with a request to specify clearer limits on where can protests occur.”

Art. 101 of the 1991 Bulgarian constitution states:
1) Within the term established by Art. 88 para 3, the President shall be free to return a bill together with his motives to the National Assembly for further debate, which shall not be refused.
2) The new passage of such a bill shall require a majority of more than half of all Members of the National Assembly.
3) Following a new passage of the bill by the National Assembly, the President shall promulgate it within seven days following its receipt.”

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