The Central Election Commission has adopted the rules for registration of presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the October 25 elections, the Bulgarian National Radio reports. The CEC will accept registration documents every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the deadline being September 22. Independent candidates cannot be included in a party or coalition's candidate list. The president and vice-president can be re-elected to the same position for only one more term.
The right to be elected president or vice-president has every Bulgarian citizen by birth who does not have another citizenship and has reached the age of 40 on election day, including, is not serving a sentence of "deprivation of liberty" and has lived in the country for the past five years.
Parties and coalitions may not register as candidates for president or vice president military personnel from the armed forces, employees in the diplomatic service, employees from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Agency "Intelligence", the National Security Service and the State Agency "Technical Operations", civil servants from the State Security Agency, judges, prosecutors and investigators, as well as others for whom membership in a political party is prohibited by law. These citizens may participate in the elections only as independent candidates.
A candidate for president or vice president who is a state or local authority or holds a position in the administration of a state or local authority must use, at his or her choice, paid annual leave or unpaid leave of absence for the period from registration until the announcement of the election results. This requirement does not apply to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, Members of Parliament, the President and the Vice President, whose powers continue after their registration as candidates.
From the day of registration until the announcement of the election results, registered candidates cannot be detained or brought as defendants except for a crime of a general nature and with the permission of the CEC.