site.btaCC-DB to Continue Boycotting Parliament's Quorum if Second-reading Revisions to Election Code Are Proposed Again

The Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) parliamentary group will continue to boycott the quorum in the plenary hall, CC leader Assen Vassilev said on Thursday. "We have seen that a proposal has already been submitted by There Is Such a People for a second reading of the draft Election Code revisions to be held on Friday," he noted. 

Earlier in the day, the National Assembly session was suspended after three checks established lack of quorum.

On Thursday it was observed that GERB are not particularly enthusiastic about ensuring a quorum, as not all of their MPs were in attendance, Vassilev noted. In his words, the item's inclusion in Friday's agenda of Parliament depends on how GERB, TISP, and MRF - New Beginning wake up in the morning. It depends on whether they will have bought more MPs from BSP, he added.

According to Vassilev, these draft amendments to the Election Code are designed to ensure voting entirely by paper ballots. What is being proposed with the introduction of scanning devices [ballot scanners] cannot happen before the elections, as the new machines must be certified, which under the current Election Code should be done 55 days before election day to ensure no code manipulation. "With no new machines, we will go 100% paper, which is the plan of MRF - New Beginning and, I suppose, GERB, although they are not pushing for it so enthusiastically," added Vassilev.