SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS

Address of President Rosen Plevneliev to the People on the Occasion of the Proposal for Conducting a National Referendum (VIDEO)

Dear compatriots,

In compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, I submitted a proposal to the 43rd National Assembly for conducting a national referendum on the following three questions:

1. Do you support the idea that part of the Assembly deputies should be elected by virtue of a majority vote election system?

2. Do you support the idea that a compulsory voting should be introduced at the elections and the national referendums?

3. Do you support the idea that people will have the right to vote from distance on-line when elections and referendums are held?

For a second time I have addressed the parliament with a proposal for conducting a national referendum on the electoral rights of the Bulgarian citizens.

Although the 42nd National Assembly refused to hear the will of the Bulgarian citizens on this issue, in the past year we have witnessed an intensive public debate, rich in the arguments presented. Our compatriots are willing to be active participants in the decision-making processes in the state, by voicing their opinions on essential issues related to how Bulgarian democracy and the election process function. The people are critical of the state of the Bulgarian political system and highlight the deficiencies of the democratic order. The public has great expectations about the politicians doing more to overcome the deficiencies and the lapses of the transition period.

The Bulgarian civil society is “mature” enough to directly voice its opinion on the important for the country issues. We were hit by quite a few crises in the transition period. Our most recent history has proved that when the politicians cause instability or make mistakes, it is namely the energy of the civil society that comes to the fore as a corrective. The Bulgarian people should not be underestimated. Their voice should be heard. In the past two years we have witnessed a dangerous process of delegitimization of institutions, of parties, and, unfortunately, of the political system as a whole. Part of the reasons are rooted namely in the lost belief that every citizen is important, that everyone can change the state by voting and that democracy in Bulgaria provides the citizens opportunities to directly participate in decision-making. There is no stronger tool we can use to increase the public trust than the referendum! Using direct democracy is a proof that the politicians serve their people. I am convinced that everyone will benefit if we strengthen the role of referendums in our political life – not only the parties, but also the citizens and the institutions. I believe that if things are well regulated and organized, this most powerful tool of direct democracy will make the political environment in the country much more stable. It is a good sign that the 43rd National Assembly works so as to ensure that amendments are made namely in the Direct Citizen Participation in the State and Local Government Act. The public expectation is that the referendums will become a working instrument to resolve issues of public importance. Initiating a referendum, I sincerely hope that we will give a green light to the referendums in the future because it depends on each one of us to be active, to express an opinion and position on how to improve democracy in Bulgaria. It is the politicians’ task to hear the people’s will without even a grain of populism, but in a responsible manner and thinking about the state.

The election legislation has been frequently amended in the transition period. Unfortunately, many of these amendments reflected the ideas of some political party, they repelled the others, they generated contradictions and as a result – public mistrust. I am proposing that this referendum be conducted because there is nothing more natural than asking the Bulgarian voter what rules they would like to follow when nominating their representatives. So far not even two elections in a row have been conducted in line with the same rules. Hopefully, this situation will soon change. The surest recipe ensuring sustainability and representation of the political decisions is to ask the sovereign. Let us avoid political scuffles over ensuring even a single vote more, let us put an end to the constant accusations power holders and opposition trade against each other, by strengthening democracy in Bulgaria through conducting a nationwide referendum.

I propose that the national referendum be held together with the forthcoming elections for municipal counselors and mayors on 25 October 2015. Simultaneously conducting local elections and a referendum will give us the opportunity to hear the people and this will be a much lesser burden to the budget. The practice adopted by a lot of progressive societies shows that combining the two types of voting provides for direct and representative democracy to be able to interact by strengthening the democratic foundations of the state. I think that combining elections with a referendum is a good model which we can introduce now in the hope of employing it in the future as well.

Although the opportunity provided by the law by the mechanism for preferential voting is a good move, it is insufficient from the viewpoint of the interest of the Bulgarian voter to vote for individuals. The majority voting system element should be much stronger and clearer. We should strengthen the link between the citizens and their representatives. We should give the voter the chance to elect Assembly deputies who have values and ideas, who have what to say and there is someone to hear them. As Head of State I firmly support the multi-party political system, which is one of the most valuable achievements of our transition and which by no means should be denied. I would explicitly like to highlight the fundamental role of the parties in parliamentary democracy as bearers and representatives of the people’s will. At the same time, by introducing the mixed electoral system whereby part of the Assembly deputies will be elected by the majority vote election system and the rest will be elected by party tickets, we will preserve the variation of parties, yet we will also vote for individuals.

I call on all who support the majority vote election system to also support conducting a referendum on this issue.

I propose to ask the sovereign also whether the voting should be compulsory. I understand that in a young democracy as ours, introducing one more commitment is not unambiguously assessed, nevertheless I am convinced that as a society we must find a way to attract to the political life this group of our compatriots which have alienated themselves and refrain from voting.  The greater number of citizens express their will, the more legitimate will the election results be and the more stable will the institutions be.

There are a quite a lot of benefits of distance online voting, but the most important one is that this will be a step ahead in the direction in which progressive mankind develops. On a daily basis, we are already taking advantage of the opportunities provided by contemporary technologies.  Online voting is the future and it will happen for sure. The relevant issue is not whether it will happen but when. I am convinced that the Bulgarian voters will be able to vote online in the near future – we should offer this option on time. Thus more than 1.5 million Bulgarians abroad will be able to contribute to the future of our homeland. I will not agree to have millions of Bulgarians excluded from the political life only because they are free and have realized their potential abroad. Our compatriots abroad are not indifferent to the events unfolding in our homeland. They have an attitude and opinion and they expect that they will be able to exercise the right the constitution has granted them to participate in elections and referendums no matter where they are in the world.

I am convinced that if the voters say “yes” to online distance voting, a legislative solution can be found which will guarantee that the voting is secret, that personal will and a free choice are expressed.

Dear compatriots,

Hopefully, our Assembly deputies will make a decision whereby the referendum will be held. We should not forget either that such was the will of more than half a million Bulgarians who supported the petition for a referendum two years ago. We cannot turn a deaf ear to their voice. We have no right to hide behind ad hoc arguments and short-term political interests.

Putting forward the arguments I have, I initiate conducting a national referendum in the hope that the voice of the Bulgarian citizens will be heard and the democratic institutions will earn the so necessary additional dose of trust.