Bulgarian Expats Campaign for Constitutional Rights

Politics » DOMESTIC | May 27, 2011, Friday // 11:36
Bulgarian Expats Campaign for Constitutional Rights: Bulgarian Expats Campaign for Constitutional Rights Bulgarian-born, French journalist, Roumiana Ougartchinska. Personal archive

Bulgarian emigrants have united in actively seeking constitutional amendments that would warrant their rights to participate in the election process in their homeland.

In an open letter, focusing on the mass exodus from the country and discrimination of those, who have chosen to live abroad, the expats insist that Bulgarians with dual citizenship are allowed not only to vote in all elections, but to run for Members of the Parliament, President, and other high-ranking political and management positions in State institutions and agencies.

"The Bulgarian Constitution is a hurdle for a quality selection of the Bulgarian nation. It eliminates from political involvement several generations of Bulgarians – they are, de facto, second-hand citizens, deprived from the right to forge the fate of their country as are their fellow countrymen and relatives. They do not vote for their Members of the National Assembly. They can vote, but they cannot be elected. On the backdrop of the demographic collapse and depopulation of the country, the apathy of the legislature is bewildering and troublesome," the letter, written by well-known Bulgarian-born French journalist, initiator of the campaign, Roumiana Ougartchinska, reads.

The letter has been sent to the Ombudsman of Republic of Bulgaria, with a copy to the President, the Parliament, the Cabinet, the Constitutional Court, the Chief Prosecutor, the European Commission in Brussels and its representation in Bulgaria, the Council of Europe, the Human Rights Court, the Venetian Commission, and to all Embassies of countries, where Bulgarians live and work.

Roumiana Ougartchinska was born in Sofia, but has lived in Bulgaria only for nine years. She graduated from high school in Paris and later from the Sorbonne with a Master's Degree in Information and Communication.

In the last 15 years, Ougartchinska has been actively working in the field of investigative journalism, and has authored several books, one of which is the well-known "The Truth about the Attempt on the Life of Pope John Paul II," shedding new light on the attack, and disproving the theory of Bulgarian participation in it.

In her work, the journalist focuses on Eastern European mafia, secret services,  energy wars. She recently presented in Bulgaria her latest book "KGB and Co."

The full text of the letter read HERE.

The Facebook group can be found at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_112206925533403&ap=1

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Tags: dual citizenship, amendments, constitution, rights, constitutional, Ombudsman, expats, emigrants

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