Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev on Monday said he is to announce within days whether or not he will veto the most recent changes to the country's Electoral Code.

The amendments sparked controversy among politicians, but also among the public, with many criticizing the governing coalition for attempting to curb turnout despite making it compulsory to vote.

Plevneliev told reporters he had set up a unit with the Presidency analyzing the changes passed by lawmakers last week.

He said each one of the text was being looked into separately to establish whether it contravened the constitution.

It was a restriction to voting abroad that inflamed the public, with Bulgarian nationals studying or working outside the country saying it would limit their options to cast a ballot. Under the initial proposal, a blanket ban had been announced on opening any polling stations abroad, but conditions were later introduced for those willing to vote.  

Plevneliev on Monday made clear he would only veto particular texts, and not the entire new version of the Electoral Code.

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) also quotes him as saying he would not hesitate in hearing the voice of Bulgarian communities abroad, some of which took to the streets to demonstrate after the initial version of amendments was passed.

The head of state welcomed Parliament's decision to allow the holding of referendums and elections simultaneously, a move he said would create a vital link between direct democracy and representation. A vote in Parliament that cancelled the legal requirement for referendums and elections to be held together draw anger from a popular TV show host whose six-point referendum would have to be held in the summer amid low expected turnout.

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