Moderate nationalists from VMRO put forward a proposal suggesting that the coming MEP elections, the first to held in Bulgaria, should be obligatory for all eligible voters.

According to the tiny rightist faction the move would remove the threat of "decision-making minority vote", referring to the predominantly ethnic vote in general polls.

Leader Krassimir Karakachanov said VMRO would insist that Bulgarian MEP elections are held in EU member states alone.

The leaders of Bulgaria's three-way ruling coalition decided to hold the country's first elections for members of the European Parliament until the middle of May, 2007.

Currently Bulgaria has sent 18 - and Romania 35 - MEPs to the European Parliament. They enjoy full-fledged rights, but are delegated by their parliamentary represented parties instead of elected by general suffrage.

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