The ruling party is proposing scandalous changes to the parliament's rules of procedure. The opposition's rights are being restricted in a way that even GERB and MRF have not allowed themselves.
All deadlines for familiarizing themselves with bills are being shortened - before committees, before the chamber. The previous majority, by holding meetings from ambush for 27 seconds, was at least violating the rules, which required 72-hour deadlines. This majority wants to change its rules of procedure so that such outrages are legal. Some deadlines are being removed altogether. Immediately. Whoever understands, understands.
This is stated in the position of the co-chairman of “Yes, Bulgaria“ Bozhidar Bozhanov, in connection with the scandalous proposals of the ruling party for amendments to the rules of procedure of the National Assembly.
Now even the extraordinary items will be introduced from the front - without a presidential council. And if by chance a group requests a break to decide what to do, it will only be allowed for 10 minutes (and not 15, as before). So - the opposition cannot stop it, keep quiet there.
The majority's struggle with temporary committees is also impressive. Progressive Bulgaria practically bans them so as not to have to explain why it does not support them. A temporary committee will need 48 signatures (i.e. even if we propose it, we will have to look for signatures from GERB or Vazrazhdane). But even if we propose it, it will not be able to enter the agenda even on "opposition day" (every first Wednesday of the month).
On the day of the opposition, hearings will not be possible - lest we call a minister to explain. You will say - but will they come at least on Friday? If they don't want to, they won't, because the limit of two postponements per question is being canceled. They will be able to postpone and hide from questions forever.
In addition to parliamentary control, the opposition's legislative initiative is also affected. Our bills will no longer have to be considered together with those of the ruling party. In previous parliaments, in order to "uncouple" one bill from others on the same topic, a 2/3 majority in a committee was needed. But since they don't have that much, they remove this higher majority. That is, the opposition's bill may never reach consideration. So that they don't have to blush to reject it.
The obligation of institutions to provide documents to members of parliament is also being removed. An important tool to know what the government is doing. Now key documents will be hidden without even having to use the ingenuity of the previous ones - failure to meet deadlines, classifying information, partial answers. Now they will simply say "there is none".
All these harmful amendments are proposed without reasons (with three short, blanket sentences). Radev complained about the legislative initiative of the deputies that it was not up to the standards of the Council of Ministers. But apparently these rules do not apply to his deputies.
Fellow rulers, at least restrain your authoritarian desires a little. The opposition is not there to hinder, but to show an alternative and to be a voice for those who did not vote for you.