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Print VersionBulgarian president holds debate on electoral reform
08/07/2008
SOFIA, Bulgaria -- President Georgi Parvanov said on Monday (July 7th) that there should be clear and transparent rules for the association, registration and functioning of political parties in Bulgaria. In recent months, Parvanov has been speaking strongly in favour of a majority voting system. The existence of more than 380 parties empties them of any real content and turns them into a mask for corporate and business interests and into an instrument for the accumulation of wealth, Parvanov said on Monday. The biggest parties have spoken out against a possible change of the status quo.
Also Monday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev said that the failure of Macedonia to receive an invitation to join the EU would create a series of problems within the country that threaten stability in Bulgaria and Greece as well. In an interview with the Greek newspaper Imerisia, Stanishev expressed Bulgaria's support for the European integration of all countries from the Western Balkans. He noted, however, that it was very clear that Macedonia would remain outside the EU if it does not settle its name dispute with Greece. (Utrinski Vesnik, Vecer, Sega - 08/07/08; Darik, Actualno, Netinfo, BTA, Focus, Sofia news agency, INA, Makfax, Sitel - 07/07/08)
