Bulgaria Parliament Strips State Security of Undercover Officers

Politics » DOMESTIC | October 16, 2009, Friday // 11:30
Bulgaria Parliament Strips State Security of Undercover Officers: Bulgaria Parliament Strips State Security of Undercover Officers The Bulgarian Parliament voted Friday amendments in the DANS Act, significantly cutting the Bulgarian FBI powers. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

The Members of the Bulgarian Parliament (MPs) voted through the amendments of the National States Security Agency (DANS) Act on Friday.

The amendments aim at eliminating the doubling the functions of the Interior Ministry and DANS and at emphasizing the intelligence and information activities of DANS.

The amendments remove the use of undercover agents by DANS as well as the right to make arrests unless the location is a facility under DANS control. In the latter case, DANS still must notify the police about the arrest and transfer the detainee to police custody. The MPs also decided that DANS employees can no longer use chemical substances and canine units.

The opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) says that the amendments would not contribute in any way to the increase of DANS’ efficiency and declared themselves against the changes. The other opposition party, the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) stated the amendments would lead to the dangerous trend of centralization of power.

Yane Yanev, leader of the "Order, Law and Justice" (RZS ) party pointed out he supported the changes, but there were many omissions in the new Act that must be addressed. Ivan Kostov, leader of the rightist "Democrats for Strong Bulgaria" (DSB) says the amendments fail to address the most serious issues in DANS and the Interior, adding after 80 days of the rule of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party Bulgaria is yet to see any progress.

 

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Tags: DANS Act, DANS, Interior Affairs Ministry

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