National Assembly of Bulgaria

National Assembly of Bulgaria Народно събрание
Type
Type	Unicameral
Leadership
Speaker	Tsetska Tsacheva, GERB since 14 July 2009
Members	240
Political groups	GERB (117)      BSP (40)      DPS (37)      Ataka (21)      BC (15)      RZS (10)
Elections
Last election	Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2009
Meeting place
National Assembly, Sofia
Website
http://parliament.bg/

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

The National Assembly of Bulgaria was established in 1879 with the Constitution of Bulgaria.

Ordinary National Assembly

Office house of the National Assembly (Former House of the Communist Party of Bulgaria)

The fist National Assembly of Bulgaria in Veliko Tarnovo

Another view from Tsar Osvoboditel.

Bulgaria

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Bulgaria

Constitution Constitution Tarnovo Constitution Dimitrov Constitution Zhivkov Constitution Parliament National Assembly Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva President President Georgi Parvanov Vice President Angel Marin President-elect Rosen Plevneliev Vice President-elect Margarita Popova Government Prime Minister Boyko Borisov Judiciary Constitutional Court Supreme Administrative Court Supreme Court of Cassation Political parties Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Coalition for Bulgaria Movement for Rights and Freedoms National Union Attack Blue Coalition Order, Law and Justice Elections Presidential: 2006, 2011 Parliamentary: 2005, 2009 Divisions Provinces (oblasti) Municipalities (obshtini) Foreign relations European Union Kristalina Georgieva Human rights

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The National Assembly consists of 240 members elected for a four-year term. 209 of the representatives are elected by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies and 31 are elected in single-seat constituencies according to the last amendment of the Electoral law governing parliamentary elections, promulgated SG 36th edition on 15th of May 2009. Political parties must gather a minimum of 4% of the national vote in order to enter the Assembly. Bulgaria has a multi-party system. Obtaining of all state power by a single party is forbidden according to the articles of 1991 Constitution of Bulgaria.

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.

Grand National Assembly

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 Rebublic, 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 - The Grand Duke (Knjaz) Alexander Battenberg and the Grand Duke (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 conduvted by 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

The Building.

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, a Serbian-Bulgarian architect who received his education in Vienna and Switzerland and whose other works include the Parliament of Serbia building. It was constructed between 1884 and 1886 by Friederich Wilhelm Gustav Liebe, a young builder from Saxony who was only 22 years old when construction began.^[1]

The building is depicted on the reverse of the Bulgarian 20 leva banknote, issued in 1999 and 2007.^[2]

Due to insufficient space in the main building, some administrative offices of the National Assembly are now housed by the former headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party, located at the Largo.

Current composition (2009-2013)

This is the composition of the 41st (ordinary) National Assembly of Bulgaria as established by the Bulgarian parliamentary election in 2009.

e • d Summary of the 2009 National Assembly of Bulgaria election results:

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria	1,678,641	39.72	new	116	new
	Coalition for Bulgaria	748,147	17.70	−13.3	40	−42
	Movement for Rights and Freedoms	610,521	14.45	+1.7	38	+4
	National Union Attack	395,733	9.36	+1.2	21	±0
	Blue Coalition	285,662	6.76	−7.3	15	−22
	Order, Law and Justice	174,582	4.13	new	10	new
	Lider	137,795	3.26	new	—	—
	National Movement for Stability and Progress	127,470	3.02	−16.9	—	−53
	The Greens	21,841	0.52	new	—	—
	For the Homeland	11,524	0.27	—	—	—
	Bulgarian Left Coalition	8,762	0.21	—	—	—
	Union of the Patriotic Forces	6,426	0.15	—	—	—
	Social Democrats	5,004	0.12	—	—	—
	Bulgarian New Democracy	3,813	0.09	—	—	—
	The Other Bulgaria	3,455	0.08	—	—	—
	Party of the Liberal Alternative and Peace	2,828	0.07	—	—	—
	Union of the Bulgarian Patriots	2,175	0.05	—	—	—
	National Movement for the Salvation of the Fatherland	1,874	0.04	—	—	—
Total valid votes		4,226,194	100.00	—	240	—
Invalid votes		97,387	2.25	—	—	—
Votes cast (turnout: 60.20%)		4,323,581	100.00	—	—	—
Registred voters		7,129,965	—	—	—	—
Source: Electoral Commission of Bulgaria

Previous composition (1991-2009)

e • d Summary of the 2005 National Assembly of Bulgaria election results:

Coalitions and parties		Votes	%	Seats	+/−
	Coalition for Bulgaria Bulgarian Socialist Party Party of Bulgarian Social Democrats Political Movement Social Democrats Agrarian Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski" Civil Union "Roma" Movement for Social Humanism Green Party of Bulgaria Communist Party of Bulgaria	1,129,196	31.0	82	+34
	National Movement Simeon II	725,314	19.9	53	−67
	Movement for Rights and Freedoms	467,400	12.8	34	+13
	National Union Attack National Movement for the Salvation of the Fatherland Bulgarian National Patriotic Party Union of Patriotic Forces and Militaries of the Reserve Defense	296,848	8.1	21	+21
	United Democratic Forces Union of Democratic Forces Democratic Party Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union George's Day Movement National Association - Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union Movement for an Equal Public Model	280,323	7.7	20	−31
	Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria	234,788	6.4	17	+17
	Bulgarian People's Union Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union-People's Union IMRO - Bulgarian National Movement Union of Free Democrats	189,268	5.2	13	+13
	Others	324,050	8.8	0	-
	Total valid votes	3,648,177	100.0	240	-
Invalid votes		99,616
Votes cast (turnout: 55.8%)		3,747,793
Registered voters in the main list		6,720,941
Source: Electoral Commission of Bulgaria and Adam Carr's Electoral Archive

Summary of the 2001 National Assembly of Bulgaria election results:

	Party	Votes	Seats
	National Movement Simeon II	1,952,513	120
	United Democratic Forces	830,338	51
	Coalition for Bulgaria (Bulgarian Socialist Party)	783,372	48
	Movement for Rights and Freedoms	340,395	21

Summary of the 1997 National Assembly of Bulgaria election results:

	Party	Votes	Seats
	United Democratic Forces	2,223,714	137
	Democratic Left (Bulgarian Socialist Party)	939,308	58
	Union for National Salvation (Movement for Rights and Freedoms)	323,429	19
	Euroleft	234,058	14
	Bulgarian Business Block	209,796	12

Summary of the 1994 National Assembly of Bulgaria election results:

	Party	Votes	Seats
	Bulgarian Socialist Party	2,262,943	125
	Union of Democratic Forces	1,260,374	69
	Bulgarian People's Union	338,478	18
	Movement for Rights and Freedoms	283,094	15
	Bulgarian Business Block	245,849	13

Summary of the 1991 National Assembly of Bulgaria election results:

	Party	Votes	Seats
	Union of Democratic Forces	1,903,567	110
	Bulgarian Socialist Party	1,836,050	106
	Movement for Rights and Freedoms	418,168	24

Notes

1. ^ Gervas, Stan (2004) [1991]. Five Graves in Dalwallinu. Maylands: Gervas Books. pp. 15–21. ISBN 0646068202. 
2. ^ Bulgarian National Bank. Notes and Coins in Circulation: 20 leva (1999 issue) & 20 leva (2007 issue). – Retrieved on 26 March 2009.

External links

• Народно събрание на Република България/ National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, Official website
• Bulgaria The National Assembly
• Historical photographs of the National Assembly