Bulgarian President Wants People with Dual Citizenship to Run for Office

Politics » DOMESTIC | May 16, 2011, Monday // 09:43
Bulgarian President Wants People with Dual Citizenship to Run for Office: Bulgarian President Wants People with Dual Citizenship to Run for Office Bulgarian President, Georgi Parvanov, reminds how in 2001 he had proposed to political parties a formula, according to which the presidential candidate must have "equal distance from all political formations." Photo by EPA/BGNES

Bulgarian President, Georgi Parvanov, supported the idea to eliminate texts in the Constitution banning people with double citizenship to run for Head of State.

The statement came in the aftermath of the announcement made by leader of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, and former, Prime Minister, Sergey Stanishev, who said Saturday he would enter the race if the Constitution is amended.

Stanishev was born in what was at the time the Soviet Republic of the Ukraine and has double citizenship, obtaining a Bulgarian passport as late as 1996.

Parvanov, a former BSP leader, denies supporting the idea of allowing people with double citizenship to become presidential candidates only because of Stanishev, and says the current restrictions are outdated since at the time the Constitution was prepared and passed, the text in question aimed at not letting certain individuals to take part in presidential elections.

"But it is obvious now there is not enough time to change the text for the fall elections, so let's not work on unattainable tasks," the President is quoted saying, adding this is why no one should interpret his words as wanting to amend the Constitution for Stanishev's sake.

When asked to comment on recent statements of current PM, Boyko Borisov, who says every leader of a political party must enter the race, Parvanov replied what is important is the "need of such policies, such strategies that would lead to an election victory, not if the leader is going to participate."

"The leader running as I did – I cannot comment on this," the President pointed out, reminding in 2001 he had proposed to political parties a formula, according to which the presidential candidate must have "equal distance from all political formations."

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Tags: president, Georgi Parvanov, Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, Sergey Stanishev, Prime Minister, president, Boyko Borisov, presidential race, candidates, requirements, constitution, GERB

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