Bulgarian Liberal Leader: It's Important to Hold Referenda

Referendums are good democratic practice and should be held often, commented Bulgarian Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Lyutvi Mestan upon casting his ballot at Sunday's referendum on nuclear energy.

"It would be healing for Bulgarian democracy if referendums are being held on a regular basis, rather than after decades," commented Mestan.

In the January 2013 vote, Bulgarians are asked weather they want a new NPP built, on occasion of the frozen Belene NPP project.

The last national referendum in Bulgaria was in 1971, when voters adopted Bulgaria's second socialist constitution, which was in force until 1991.

"It is of utmost importance that referendum questioins be very precisely formulated so that we can be certain that the popular vote will not be misinterpreted," also said Mestan.

The referendum asks the question "Should nuclear energy be developed in the Republic of Bulgaria through the construction of a new nuclear power plant?"