Bulgarian MPs Start Petition on Convocation of Grand Assembly

Bulgarian independent MPs have launched a petition calling for the convocation of a Grand Assembly tasked with drafting a new Constitution.

Kiril Gumnerov, as cited by the Focus news agency, told journalists in Parliament on Friday that such a decision could be initiated by half of the total of 240 MPs or the President.

"In order for such a decision to be adopted, 2/3 of MPs must vote, regardless of who initiated it. We have so far collected 15 signatures of independent MPs, without the members of the group of Yane Yanev from the Order, Law, and Justice (RZS) party," he stated, adding that he had not yet offered the petition to large party groups represented in Parliament.

He explained that the marginal conservative RZS party had been collecting signatures for holding a referendum on the convocation of a Grand Assembly and was expected to back the proposal, as well as nationalist party Ataka, whose leader Volen Siderov had already voiced support for such a step.

Gumnerov made clear that he would present the petition at the offices of the different parliamentary groups.

He noted that after the resignation of the GERB government, which was approved by Parliament on Thursday, the Constitution provided for a two-month long procedure before elections could be held, meaning that each political party and social group could state its ideas on the Constitution during the period, after which the Grand Assembly would prepare it within a short term, even if the project was put to a referendum.

Over the past few weeks, dnevnik.bg reminds, civil protests against monopolies and high electricity bills in Bulgaria have escalated into calls for the convocation of a Grand Assembly tasked with amending the Constitution to allow the recall of MPs and to reduce their number from the current 240.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev cautioned in his Thursday statement that a poorly drafted decision for the convocation of a Grand Assembly would trigger an even deeper economic and political crisis and instill chaos in the country.

He argued that such a step had to be well-thought-out, with crystal-clear ideas as to what changes to the principle of government are sought and how they can be achieved, given that the measures enjoy wide public consensus.