Politics of Bulgaria

Template:Politics of Bulgaria The President of Bulgaria, elected for a 5-year term, is head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces. The President's main duties are to schedule elections and referenda, represent Bulgaria abroad, conclude international treaties, and head the Consultative Council for National Security. The President may return legislation to the National Assembly for further debate--a kind of veto--but the legislation can be passed again by a simple majority vote.

The legislative body is the unicameral National Assembly of 240 members elected to 4-year terms. Political parties must garner a minimum of 4% of the national vote in order to enter the Assembly. The Assembly is responsible for enactment of laws, approval of the budget, scheduling of presidential elections, selection and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other ministers, declaration of war and deployment of troops outside of Bulgaria, and ratification of international treaties and agreements.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) won the first post-communist Assembly elections in 1990 with a small majority. The BSP government formed at that time was brought down by a general strike in late 1990 and replaced by a transitional coalition government. Meanwhile, Zhelyu Zhelev, a communist-era dissident, was elected President by the Assembly in 1990 and later won Bulgaria's first direct presidential elections, in 1992. Zhelev served until early 1997. The country's first fully democratic Assembly elections, in November 1991, ushered in another coalition government, which was led by the pro-reform Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) in partnership with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). This coalition collapsed in late 1992, however, and was succeeded by a technocratic team, put forward by the MRF, which governed at the sufferance of the BSP for 2 years. The BSP won pre-term elections in December 1994 and remained in office until February 1997, when a populace alienated by the BSP's failed, corrupt government demanded its resignation and called for new elections. A caretaker cabinet appointed by the President served until pre-term parliamentary elections in April 1997, which yielded a landslide victory for pro-reform forces led by the UDF in the United Democratic Forces coalition.

In 2001, former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha returned to power, this time as Prime Minister.

The Council of Ministers is the principal organ of the executive branch. It is usually formed by the majority party in Parliament, if one exists, or by the largest party in Parliament along with coalition partners. Chaired by the Prime Minister, it is responsible for carrying out state policy, managing the state budget, and maintaining law and order. The Council must resign if the National Assembly passes a vote of no confidence in the Council or the Prime Minister.

Bulgaria's judicial system is independent and is managed by the Supreme Judicial Council. Its principal elements are the Supreme Court of Administration and the Supreme Court of Cassation, which oversee application of all laws by the lower courts and judge the legality of government acts. There is a separate Constitutional Court, which interprets the Constitution and rules on the constitutionality of laws and treaties.

Freedom House rates the country with a 1 on political rights and with a 2 on civil rights (on a scale of 1 to 7 whereas 1 is the most free). Freedom House considers Bulgaria to be a free country.

The next parliamentary elections will take place on 25 June 2005.

Data

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria

Data code: BG

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Sofia

Administrative divisions 28 regions (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Sofia Region, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Independence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

Constitution: adopted 12 July 1991

Legal system: civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Georgi Purvanov (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel Marin (since 22 January 2002)
Head of Government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikolay Vasilev (since 24 July 2001), Lidiya Shuleva (since 24 July 2001), Plamen Panayotov (since 17 July 2003)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 11 November and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister
Election results: Georgi Purvanov elected president; percent of vote - Georgi Purvanov 54.13%, Petar Stoyanov 45.87%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held 25 June 2005)

Election results:

percent of vote by party
- National Movement for Simeon II 42.74%
- United Democratic Forces 18.18%
- Coalition for Bulgaria 17.15%
- Movement for Rights and Freedoms 7.45%
seats by party
- National Movement for Simeon II 120
- United Democratic Forces 51
- Coalition for Bulgaria 48
- Movement for Rights and Freedoms 21
note - seating as of March 2003 -
- National Movement for Simeon II 110
- United Democratic Forces 50
- Coalition for Bulgaria 48
- Movement for Rights and Freedoms 20
- independents 12
note - seating as of November 2004 -
- National Movement for Simeon II 98
- Coalition for Bulgaria 49
- United Democratic Forces 28
- Movement for Rights and Freedoms 20
- Union of Democratic Forces 14
- The New Time 13
- People's Union 11
- independents 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Constitutional Court; chairman appointed for a seven-year term by the president, 12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms

Political parties and leaders: