Reform of Voting Rules, Judiciary Key to Solving Bulgaria's Problems - President

Nearly all of Bulgaria's problems have their origin in the judicial system and electoral law, President Rosen Plevneliev has said.

This is the first time he has compared changes to voting rules and the judicial reform, two issues which he supports avidly.

In an address to Parliament which he used to present his proposal for questions in an upcoming referendum on election rules, the head of state has called on lawmakers to approve the list of three questions which will be offered to citizens to have their say this autumn.

Plevneliev made his point during an extraordinary meeting of MPs just days before their summer recess.

The three issues he wants Bulgarians to be asked about are the introduction of a majority system, compulsory voting, and remote electronic voting.

"Weak economic growth, corruption... all are results of an ineffective judicial system and unsustainable electoral process," he argued from the rostrum, adding both reforms required "the will and support of the people" in order to be realized.

This is the second time Plevneliev is seeking to organize the referendum after the same set of questions was rejected by Parliament last year. The poll was then proposed by an Initiative Committee thought to be affiliated to the President and it had to collect 0.5 million signatures in a petition to force Parliament into calling a referendum. A vast part of the signatures collected, however, were declared void.

If made by a head of state, such a request has to be considered by Parliament under Bulgaria's constitution.

MPs are due to decide later on Tuesday whether or not to support the questions. Their approval would pave the way for the President to set a final date for the referendum.
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