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The Head of State Rosen Plevneliev Submitted a Proposal to the National Assembly for Conducting a National Referendum on the Electoral Rights of the Bulgarian Citizens

President Rosen Plevneliev submitted a proposal to the 43rd National Assembly for conducting a national referendum on the basic principles related to the electoral rights of the Bulgarian citizens simultaneously with the local elections on 25 October 2015. After consultations with the political parties and coalitions represented in parliament, the Head of State reiterated his proposal that the Assembly deputies should make a decision to schedule a national referendum on the following questions:

1. Do you support the idea that part of the Assembly deputies should be elected by virtue of a majority vote election system?

2. Do you support the idea that a compulsory voting should be introduced at the elections and the national referendums?

3. Do you support the idea that people will have the right to vote from distance on-line when elections and referendums are held?

President Rosen Plevneliev thinks that the issues he raised more than a year ago before the 42nd National Assembly are still topical today. Despite the broad and active public support, expressed in more than 500,000 signatures being collected, the previous parliament rejected the citizens’ demand and the President’s proposal for conducting a national referendum on the questions put.

The President thinks that the introduction of a mixed election system combines the advantages of the majority vote election system and the proportional representation election system and remedies their deficiencies. “As Head of State I firmly support the multi-party political system, which is one of the most valuable achievements of our transition and which by no means should be denied. At the same time, by introducing the mixed electoral system whereby part of the Assembly deputies will be elected by the majority vote election system and the rest will be elected by party tickets, we will preserve the variation of parties, yet we will also vote for individuals,” the President said in his motives for the proposal submitted to the Assembly deputies.

Regarding the question whether compulsory voting should be introduced in elections and national referendums, President Rosen Plevneliev said that if voting is compulsory, our compatriots who for one reason or another have alienated themselves from the political life, will take part in the elections and national referendums. “We must find a way to integrate them in the political life. The greater number of citizens express their will, the more legitimate will the election results be and the more stable will the institutions be,” the Head of State emphasized. The President further recalled that compulsory voting is an instrument that will counteract the most vicious practices – corporate, manipulative or bought vote. “Only by increasing the voter turnout, will we be able to reduce the weight of controlled voting,” the Head of State was adamant.

Regarding the question whether online voting from a distance should be an option in elections and referendums, the President called on for introducing online voting in compliance with the requirements of the Constitution. “This type of voting will lead to a higher voter turnout and more people will feel politically represented. More than 1,5 million Bulgarian compatriots abroad, as well as many citizens in the country, who are not indifferent to their homeland’s future, will be able to take part in elections and referendums much more easily,” the Head of State provided reasons in support of his position.

“I am convinced that if the voters say “yes” to online distance voting, a legislative solution can be found which will guarantee that the voting is secret, that personal will and a free choice are expressed.  Clearly, this takes time and cannot happen overnight. However, if the citizens support online distance voting, we must work so as to introduce it,” the President said in his motives.

The Head of State thinks that there is no stronger instrument that will build up the public trust than the referendum. “Using direct democracy is a proof that the politicians serve their people. I believe that if things are well regulated and organized, this most powerful tool of direct democracy will make the political environment in the country much more stable,” President Rosen Plevneliev further emphasized.

In his motives, the Head of State said that the public expectations are that the referendums will become a working instrument for solving principled issues. “Initiating a referendum, I sincerely hope that we will give a green light to the referendums in the future because it depends on each one of us to be active, to express an opinion and position on how to improve democracy in Bulgaria. After the sovereign has expressed their will, the Assembly deputies will have to assume the responsibility to find working legislative solutions,” the Head of State said.

“Conducting a referendum is the only mechanism after which we can have a mandatory solution, committing the politicians. This is a means to achieve real and stable democracy.  The sovereign should have a say on all these questions and we should ensure that we save money paid through our taxes and conduct the national referendum together with the regular local elections,” President Rosen Plevneliev further called on.