Georgi Parvanov vetoes the Law on Diplomatic Service

President Georgi Parvanov vetoed the amendments to the Law on Diplomatic Service banning employees of the former State Security Service from representing Bulgaria abroad, posted yesterday the press -office of the Head of State on the official website of the institution. Thus, the controversial amendments adopted on July 14 this year by Parliament will be debated in the plenary hall again.

The motives of the President stated that a number of regulations in the bill, adopted on July 14 by Parliament, contravene the Constitution, international laws, and the basic principles of international legislation. The provisions, which ban employees from the former Secret Services to represent Bulgaria abroad, and which require for those diplomats who already hold such posts to be recalled and to be appointed at other positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was severely criticised.

According to the President, the ban for certain categories of persons to be appointed or continue to hold public office in the Diplomatic Service - Ambassadors, Consuls General and Deputy Heads of Diplomatic Missions and other senior officials – starting from Head of Sector to Director General and Chief Secretary in the central administration of the MoFA, contradicts the Basic Law of the State.

"After more than twenty years of democratic reforms in our country, the society should have overcome primitive opposition. It is unacceptable for a legislative authority to create new legal preconditions, leading to a split in society," said Parvanov. According to him, this can only be defined as discrimination. "It is unacceptable for certain law provisions to violate the constitutional principle of equality of rights (Art. 6, Para. 2 of the Constitution), to restrict and undermine universal values such as freedom, justice and tolerance, and to affect the rights of a person, their dignity, security and right of work," stated the President.

Прочети цялата новина

Свързани новини: