site.btaUp to 20 Polling Stations May Be Opened in Non-EU Countries, Parliament Decides at First Reading
The National Assembly adopted at first reading on Thursday Vazrazhdane’s amendments to the Election Code with 119 votes in favour. MPs from GERB-UDF, Vazrazhdane, Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - United Left, and There Is Such a People (TISP) voted for the bill, which reduces the number of polling stations that may be opened outside the diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Bulgaria in non-European Union countries to 20. A total of 81 MPs voted against the bill including the parliamentary groups of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) - New Beginning, 2 from BSP-United Left, the parliamentary groups of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) and Velichie, and 2 independent MPs. 12 abstained: 2 from BSP-United Left and the parliamentary group of MECh (Morality, Unity, Honour).
The Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) bill which proposed the restoration of the machine-generated voting protocol, was rejected. 99 MPs voted in favour of the bill (CC-DB, Vazrazhdane, 6 from BSP - United Left, ARF, MECh, and Velichie). 105 MPs voted against (GERB-UDF, MRF - New Beginning, 1 from BSP-United Left, TISP, and 3 independent). 3 from GERB-UDF, 10 from BSP-United Left, 1 from TISP abstained.
The debates continued throughout the entire plenary sitting, with breaks requested by parliamentary groups. National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan interrupted the sitting twice to bring order to the chamber.
Vazrazhdane’s amendments aim to limit the opening of polling stations in countries outside the EU. The party argues the regime for the opening of polling stations in EU member states should be different from the one in non-EU countries.
Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria’s bill proposed a return to machine voting and fully automated voting.
/RY/
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