The President voiced his readiness to convene a Consultative Council for National Security on the issues of public peace if the situation in the country requires it. This is what the Head of State said after the meeting he held with the leaders of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms within the month for political consultations.
President Rosen Plevneliev and the representatives of the Movement, headed by its leader Lyutvi Mestan, voiced their concern for the public, ethno-religious and political tension in the past days. “We are once again observing attempts to escalate the tension. As Head of State, I cannot remain calm when attacks against religious temples are launched in Bulgaria. For me, it is extremely important that the public, ethnic and religious peace is guaranteed in our country,” the President was adamant and he called on the institutions to take adequate, harmonized and efficient actions.
“Unfortunately, the confrontation in Bulgaria today is a very appalling part of our everyday lives and I hope that it is an exception and will remain in the past. It is also the result of the mounting tension, the intense aggression and the language of hatred used also by political figures. It is very important that the politicians adopt a softer tone and argue with arguments, not with insults. Therefore I call on the political leaders to display tolerance, to set a good example, to avoid adopting a partisan approach or using the language of hatred or aggression. The political leaders should be an example of showing respect for the different person, not for provoking confrontation at any cost,” Rosen Plevneliev said.
The President proposed that possible amendments of the Law on direct civil participation in government and local government be debated. In his words, the national referendums in Bulgaria should be a functioning instrument which can build up the public trust in the institutions and make them more legitimate. “I believe that the people should voice their opinions on issues of fundamental importance for them, such as the issue related to their election rights,” Rosen Plevneliev added.
In reply to a journalist’s question, the Head of State voiced his position that propaganda during election time in Bulgaria should be made in Bulgarian, which is the official language in the country.