site.btaNo Changes Should Be Made to Election Code at This Stage, Says BSP-United Left’s Kiselova

BSP-United Left MP Nataliya Kiselova said that the Election Code should not be amended, warning that last-minute changes could pose risks. “No changes should be made to the Election Code now, because I fear that we could create more problems,” Kiselova told journalists in the parliamentary corridors on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Co-Floor Leader Nikolay Denkov said that the urgent tasks for the remainder of this Parliament include preparing fair elections with changes to the Election Code, 100% machine voting with machine-generated tally sheets, mass participation and strong civic oversight to prevent electoral fraud.

Kiselova said that, with nine parliamentary groups, many members of the polling station commissions might only be there in name and may not actively help run the elections. "Any change to any law at the last moment can carry risks," she noted.

Regarding the proposal to remove National Service for Protection (NSP) guarding for MPs, Kiselova said that Parliament does not participate in decisions on the protection of individuals. She said that a specialized commission decides this in a closed session. "In my opinion, it would have been appropriate to review the procedure for assessing threat levels," Kiselova commented. She clarified that she personally voted against the draft law. "Legislation should be drafted more calmly, without street pressure," Kiselova emphasized.

According to Article 23 of the NSP Act, the members of the commission that can decide which MPs receive special protection are the Head of the NSP, the Chair of the State Agency for National Security and the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior.

Asked whether Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Andrey Gurov would be appropriate as a caretaker Prime Minister, she replied that it is too early to discuss while the President has not yet completed the procedure.