President Radev: Experience Shows the Need for Machine Voting with Electronic Results Tallying

President Rumen Radev said that the main priority for the National Assembly is to implement changes to the electoral legislation that will restore citizens’ trust in the voting process. In his words, the experience from recent elections shows the need for machine voting with electronic tallying, combined with manual counting of control slips.

“There is an anti-mafia consensus in our society, and the first step in making it a reality is honest elections,” the head of state emphasised. He added that Parliament needs sufficient time to implement the necessary legislative changes expected by society.

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On the topic of the third exploratory mandate, Radev said he would inform the public in due course when and to which political force it will be handed. The President reminded that the first two parties have already returned their mandates, and that any potential caretaker government requires the consultations and discussions provided for in the Constitution.

Radev also commented on amendments to the Constitution, noting that they have distorted the roles of certain positions, which are now perceived primarily as potential prime ministers rather than as professionals in their respective fields.

When asked whether he would participate in the elections, Radev replied that all his actions are guided solely by the interests of the people. According to him, if the authorities had defended national interests, adhered to the Constitution and the law, and opposed corruption and arrogance, trust between institutions and citizens would not have been undermined.

The President is taking part tonight in celebrations marking the 148th anniversary of the liberation of Belovo from Ottoman rule, which will include a historical reenactment.