site.btaDemocratic Bulgaria Calls for Constitutional Court Review Before Parliament Considers Ratifying Board of Peace Charter

The Democratic Bulgaria coalition, part of the broader Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) alliance, has insisted that the ratification of the document on Bulgaria’s accession to US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace should not be considered by the National Assembly before a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

CC-DB Co-Floor Leader of Democratic Bulgaria Nadejda Iordanova explained that the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria provides for a procedure allowing a request to the Constitutional Court, prior to ratification, to determine whether a signed international document complies with the Constitution — that is, before a ratification bill is introduced to Parliament. Until international agreements requiring ratification are ratified, they do not enter into force. The document has been signed, but it has not entered into force, Iordanova stressed.

She recalled that 48 signatures are required to refer the matter to the Constitutional Court. “If you look at the Council of Ministers’ information system for decisions taken on January 20, 21 and 22, and it is claimed that the decision was taken on the 21st, there is no such decision listed – there is only one classified decision,” she continued. “Can you imagine the absurd situation in which an outgoing government places the entire country?” the MP said. “If the classified act is the one that authorized Rosen Zhelyazkov to sign the document, I believe the scandal becomes even greater, given that the Charter is public and has been seen by the entire world,” Nadejda Iordanova added.