Bulgaria’s President Rosen Plevneliev will refer to the Constitutional Court the Parliament’s “hugely regrettable” decision to override his veto on changes to election rules that could hamper voting by Bulgarian citizens residing abroad. By rejecting the veto the lawmakers “bet on a policy of confrontation even at the expense of the Constitution and basic democratic rights of citizens,” Plevneliev said in a statement on Wednesday after Parliament refused to rescind recently adopted controversial changes to the Electoral Code. The changes must be revoked as they curb the opening of polling stations abroad and will infringe on the voting rights of Bulgarian expats, according to Plevneliev.
The Parliament’s decision “is yet another case, in which Bulgarian lawmakers put the interests of their parties’ above the constitutional rights of Bulgarian citizens,” Plevneliev said.
The change to election rules restricting the opening of polling stations abroad has drawn fire from Bulgarian expats in Europe and the United States.
GERB party, the dominant partner in the minority coalition government led by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, backed the changes proposed by nationalist Patriotic Front, citing concerns about the stability of the cabinet.
Full Article: Bulgarian President Hits back at MPs over Rejection of Veto on Election Rules – Novinite.com – Sofia News Agency.