National Assembly (Bulgaria)

National Assembly
Народно събрание
Narodnо sаbranie
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Unicameral
Leadership
Tsetska Tsacheva, GERB
since 27 October 2014
Structure
Seats 240
Political groups

Government (118)

Parties Supporting the Government (18)

Opposition (104)

Elections
Last election
 5 October 2014
Meeting place
National Assembly, Sofia
Website
parliament.bg

The National Assembly (Bulgarian: Народно събрание, Narodno sabranie) is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of Bulgaria.

The National Assembly was established in 1879 with the Tarnovo Constitution.

Ordinary National Assembly

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The National Assembly consists of 240 members elected for a four-year term elected by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies. Political parties must gather a minimum of 4% of the national vote in order to enter the Assembly. Bulgaria has a multi-party system.

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, concluding peace and deployment of troops outside of Bulgaria, and ratification of international treaties and agreements. It is headed and presided by the Chairperson of the National Assembly of Bulgaria.

The Assembly administers the publication of the State Gazette, Bulgaria's gazette of record.

Procedure

By the Constitution, the National Assembly is inaugurated by the eldest elected member of Parliament. On the first day of sitting, he or she presides over the election of the Speaker (Chairperson) and two deputies.[8]

Once elected, the Speakers retain their party allegiances, which means that they remain as MPs and are allowed to take part in debates and voting.

121 MPs must be present in order for any session to commence, and 50%+1 of those present must vote "for" any point of order or bill to be approved.

Ministers may be chosen from among the MPs or they may be experts outside Parliament. All MPs picked to be Cabinet ministers lose their MP status, and other members from their party are called up to Parliament to fill the seats they vacate.

Parliament sits Wednesday to Friday, and sessions begin at 9 am. Parliamentary committees sit in the afternoons.

Layout

The Chamber is made up of 286 seats, all facing the 5-seat speaker's bench in a 26 x 11 arrangement. In front of the Speaker, also facing the chamber, is the pulpit, in front of which is the stenographers' desk.

Parties sit in parliamentary groups, loosely following the rule that the political left sit to the Speaker's left and the political right to his right. Generally, the largest parties choose the left, right or centre wings of the chamber, with smaller blocks accommodating themselves wherever convenient. Individual MPs will sometimes sit entirely outside of their block or stand, and, since compulsory electronic registration was implemented, may even vote from any seat in the house.

To the speaker's right, also facing the chamber, is a section with 17 seats reserved for the Cabinet, any of whom may or may not be present at any time during a parliamentary session. Any of them may, however, be called up by Parliament at any time if needed.[9]

Grand National Assembly

The fist National Assembly of Bulgaria in Veliko Tarnovo

In addition to the ordinary National Assembly, a Grand National Assembly (Велико народно събрание, Veliko narodno sabranie) may be convened in order for matters of special jurisdiction, such as: 1) Adoption of a new Constitution; 2) Amendment of certain articles of the Constitution, e.g. those related with the basic civil rights; 3) Changes in the territory (gain or loss) of the Republic, etc. Before the World War II the Grand National Assembly was also competent in electing the Regency of the Bulgarian Kingdom if the tzar has not come to age. The First and the Third Grand National Assemblies also elected the first two Bulgarian monarchs after the liberation from the Turkish yoke – Prince (Knjaz) Alexander Battenberg and Prince (Knjaz) Ferdinand Saxe Coburg-Gotha.

As an organ, the Grand National Assembly was introduced with the Tarnovo Constitution of 1879, abolished in 1947 and reintroduced with the 1991 constitution. In different constitutional provisions, it was constituted by a different number of representatives. According to the 1991 Constitution, it consists of 400 deputies (as opposed to 240 in the ordinary one). The 1991 Constitution was adopted by the Seventh Grand National Assembly and was composed of 200 members being elected by proportional representation and the other 200 by majoritarian representation. The Constitution provides that the elections for Grand National Assembly shall be conducted in the same manner as those for the Ordinary National Assembly.

A qualified majority of 2/3 during three voting procedures on separate dates is required for a decision to be made. The Grand National Assembly can also serve as an ordinary National Assembly, taking care of regular legislative activities, in urgent cases only. After it has concluded its work on the matter for which it was elected, the Grand National Assembly is dissolved ex lege and the President of the Republic shall appoint elections for an ordinary National Assembly.

A total of seven Grand National Assemblies have been in operation in Bulgaria, the last one from 10 July 1990 to 12 July 1991 adopting the current constitution.

Building

Another view from Tsar Osvoboditel.

The National Assembly's main building has been proclaimed a monument of culture for its historic significance. Situated in downtown Sofia, it was designed in Neo-Renaissance style by Konstantin Jovanović. The site on which the building is now situated used to be a Turkish cemetery.[10]

Office house of the National Assembly (Former House of the BCP)

Due to insufficient space in the main building at Parliament Square, some administrative offices of the National Assembly are now housed by the former headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party, located at the Largo. There has been a proposal that the entire National Assembly be permanently moved to the old Party house building, with its inner courtyard being converted into an interior space for the plenary chamber.[11]

List of National Assemblies

Parliament Term Seats
Constituent Assembly 10 February 1879 – 16 April 1879 231
1 Grand National Assembly 17 April 1879 – 26 June 1879 231
1 Ordinary National Assembly 21 October 1879 – 24 November 1879 158
2 Ordinary National Assembly 23 March 1880 – 18 December 1880 172
2 Grand National Assembly 7 January 1881 307
3 Ordinary National Assembly 10 December 1882 – 25 December 1883 47
4 Ordinary National Assembly 27 June 1884 – 6 September 1886 195/286
3 Grand National Assembly 19 October 1886 – 3 August 1887 493
5 Ordinary National Assembly 15 October 1887 – 17 December 1889 285
6 Ordinary National Assembly 15 October 1890 – 15 December 1892 276
4 Grand National Assembly 3 May 1893 – 17 May 1893 577
7 Ordinary National Assembly 15 October 1893 – 21 December 1893 145
8 Ordinary National Assembly 15 October 1894 – 4 February 1896 149
9 Ordinary National Assembly 1 December 1896 – 19 December 1898 159
10 Ordinary National Assembly 16 May 1899 – 29 November 1900 169
11 Ordinary National Assembly 22 February 1901 – 23 December 1901 166
12 Ordinary National Assembly 22 April 1902 – 31 March 1903 188
13 Ordinary National Assembly 2 November 1903 – 22 December 1907 189
14 Ordinary National Assembly 15 June 1908 – 15 February 1911 203
5 Grand National Assembly 9 June 1911 – 9 July 1911 414
15 Ordinary National Assembly 15 October 1911 – 23 July 1913 213
16 Ordinary National Assembly 19 December 1913 – 31 December 1913 204
17 Ordinary National Assembly 20 March 1914 – 15 April 1919 257
18 Ordinary National Assembly 2 October 1919 – 20 February 1920 237
19 Ordinary National Assembly 15 April 1920 – 11 March 1923 232
20 Ordinary National Assembly 21 May 1923 – 11 June 1923 245
21 Ordinary National Assembly 9 December 1923 – 15 April 1927 267
22 Ordinary National Assembly 19 June 1927 – 18 April 1931 275
23 Ordinary National Assembly 20 August 1931 – 19 May 1934 283
24 Ordinary National Assembly 22 May 1938 – 27 April 1939 160
25 Ordinary National Assembly 24 February 1940 – 23 August 1944 160
26 Ordinary National Assembly 15 December 1945 – 28 September 1946 276
6 Grand National Assembly 7 November 1946 – 21 October 1949 465(375)
1 National Assembly 17 January 1950 – 2 November 1953 239
2 National Assembly 14 January 1954 – 11 December 1957 249
3 National Assembly 13 January 1958 – 4 November 1961 254
4 National Assembly 15 March 1962 – 8 December 1965 321
5 National Assembly 11 March 1966 – 18 May 1971 416
6 National Assembly 7 July 1971 – 9 March 1976 400
7 National Assembly 15 June 1976 – 7 April 1981 400
8 National Assembly 16 June 1981 – 21 March 1986 400
9 National Assembly 17 June 1986 – 3 April 1990 400
7 Grand National Assembly 10 July 1990 – 2 October 1991 400
36 National Assembly 4 November 1991 – 17 October 1994 240
37 National Assembly 12 January 1995 – 13 February 1997 240
38 National Assembly 7 May 1997 – 19 April 2001 240
39 National Assembly 5 July 2001 – 17 June 2005 240
40 National Assembly 11 July 2005 – 25 June 2009 240
41 National Assembly 14 July 2009 – 13 March 2013 240
42 National Assembly 21 May 2013 – 6 August 2014 240
43 National Assembly 27 October 2014 – incumbent 240

Notes

  1. ↑ "Bulgaria: EPP President welcomes new coalition government led by Boyko Borissov (EN+BG)". http://www.epp.eu/''. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Bulgarian parties approve coalition agreement, cabinet". http://www.euractiv.com/''. EurActiv. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "GERB and Reformist block finally sign a coalition agreement, the new cabinet to be voted today". www.ffbh.bg. FFBH. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Bulgaria: EPP President welcomes new coalition government led by Boyko Borissov (EN+BG)". http://www.epp.eu/''. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Bulgarian parties approve coalition agreement, cabinet". http://www.euractiv.com/''. EurActiv. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "GERB and Reformist block finally sign a coalition agreement, the new cabinet to be voted today". www.ffbh.bg. FFBH. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Bulgaria's GERB Party Signs Partnership Deal with Left-Wing ABV
  8. ↑ Inaugural Session, 42nd National Assembly, 21 May 2013, parliament.bg. Retrieved Oct 2013
  9. ↑ Raykov Cabinet (88th Government) sitting in Parliament (article), 22 May 2013 Retrieved Oct 2013.
  10. ↑ BNT World: "The Unknown Parliament" 5 October 2014
  11. ↑ Competition for new Plenary Hall, NI Consult, 2009. Retrieved Oct 2013.

See also

External links

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