Bulgarian Constitution > Bulgaria

Chapter One
Fundamental Principles

Article 1.

(1) Bulgaria shall be a republic with a parliamentary form of government.
(2) The entire power of the state shall derive from the people. The people shall exercise this power directly and through the bodies established by this Constitution.
(3) No part of the people, no political party nor any other organization, state institution or individual shall usurp the expression of the popular sovereignty.

 
Article 2.

(1) The Republic of Bulgaria shall be an integral state with local self-government. No autonomous territorial formations shall exist.
(2) The territorial integrity of the Republic of Bulgaria shall be inviolable.

 
Article 3. Bulgarian shall be the official language of the Republic.
Article 4.

(1) The Republic of Bulgaria shall be a law-governed state. It shall be governed by the Constitution and the laws of the country.
(2) The Republic of Bulgaria shall guarantee the life, dignity and right of the individual and shall create conditions conducive to the free development of the individual and the civil society.

 
Article 5.

(1) The Constitution shall be the supreme law, and no other law shall contravene it.
(2) The provisions of the Constitution shall apply directly.
(3) No one shall be convicted for action or inaction which at the time it was committed did not constitute a crime.
(4) Any international instruments which have been ratified by the constitutionally established procedure, promulgated and come into force with respect to the Republic of Bulgaria, shall be considered part of the domestic legislation of the country. They shall supersede any domestic legislation stipulating otherwise.
(5) All legislative acts shall be promulgated and shall come into force three days after the date of their promulgation unless otherwise envisaged by the acts themselves.

 
Article 6. (1) All persons are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
(2) All citizens shall be equal before the law. There shall be no privileges or restriction of rights on the grounds of race, nationality, ethnic self-identity, sex, origin, religion, education, opinion, political affiliation, personal or social status or property status.

 

 
Article 7. The state shall be held liable for any damages caused by illegitimate rulings or acts on the part of its agencies and officials.
Article 8. The power of the state shall be divided between a legislative, an executive and a judicial branch.
Article 9. The armed forces shall guarantee the sovereignty, security and independence of the county and shall defend its territorial integrity.
Article 10. All elections, and national and local referendums shall be held on the basis of universal equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
Article 11.

(1) Politics in the Republic of Bulgaria shall be founded on the principle of political plurality.
(2) No political party or ideology shall be proclaimed or affirmed as a party or ideology of the state.
(3) All parties shall facilitate the formation and expression of' the citizensâ political will. The procedure applying to the formation and dissolution of political parties and the conditions pertaining to their activity shall be established by a law.
(4) There shall be no political parties on ethnic, racial or religious lines, nor parties which seek the violent usurpation of state power.

 
Article 12.

(1) The associations of citizens shall serve to meet and safeguard interests.
(2) Citizensâ associations, including the trade unions, shall not pursue any political objectives, nor shall they engage in any political activity which is in domain of the political parties.

 
Article 13.

(1) The practicing of any religion shall be free.
(2) The religious institutions shall be separate from the state.
(3) Eastern Orthodox Christianity shall be considered the traditional .religion in the Republic of Bulgaria. (4) Religious institutions and communities, and religious beliefs shall not be used political ends.

 
Article 14. The family, motherhood and childhood shall enjoy the protection of the state and society.
Article 15. The Republic of Bulgaria shall ensure the protection and reproduction of the environment, the conservation of living Nature in all its variety, and the sensible utilization of the country's natural and other resources.
Article 16. Labour shall be guaranteed and protected by law.
Article 17.

(1) The right to property and inheritance shall be guaranteed and protected by law.
(2) Property shall be private and public.
(3) Private property shall be inviolable.
(4) The regime applying to the different units of state and municipal property shall be established by a law.
(5) Forcible expropriation of property in the name of state ox municipal needs shall be effected only by virtue of a law, provided that these needs cannot be otherwise met, and after fair compensation has been ensured in advance.

 
Article 18.

(1) The state shall enjoy exclusive ownership rights over the nether of the earth; the coastal beaches; the national thoroughfares, as well as over waters, forests and parks of national importance, and the natural and archaeological reserves established by a law.
(2) The state shall exercise sovereign rights in prospecting, developing, utilizing, protecting and managing the continental shelf and the exclusive off-shore economic zone, and the biological, mineral and energy resources therein. (3) The state shall exercise sovereign rights with respect to radio frequencies and the geostationary orbital positions assigned by international instrument to the Republic of Bulgaria.
(4) A state monopoly shall be establishable 'by a law over -.airway transport, the national postal and telecommunications networks, the use of nuclear energy, the manufacturing of radioactive products, armaments, explosive and powerful toxic substances.
(5) The conditions and procedure by which the state shall grant concessions over units of property and licenses for the activities enumerated in the preceding two paragraphs shall be established by a law.
(6) The state shall utilize and manage all the state's assets to the benefit of citizens and society.

 
Article 19.

(1) The economy of the Republic of Bulgaria shall be based on free economic initiative.
(2) The state shall establish and guarantee equal legal conditions for economic activity to all citizens and corporate entities by preventing any abuse of a monopoly status and unfair competition, and by protecting the consumer.
(3) All investments and economic activity by Bulgarian and foreign persons and corporate entities shall enjoy the protection of the law.
(4) The law shall establish conditions conducive to the setting up of cooperatives and other forms of association of citizens and corporate entities in the pursuit of economic and social prosperity.

 
Article 20. The state shall establish conditions conducive to the balanced development of the different regions of the country, and shall assist the territorial bodies and activities through its fiscal, credit and investment policies.
Article 21.

(1) Land, as a chief national asset, shall enjoy particular protection on the part of the state and society.
(2) Arable land shall be used for agricultural purposes only. Any change in purposes shall be allowed only in exceptional circumstances, when necessity has been proven, and on terms and by a procedure established by a law.

 
Article 22.

(1) No foreign physical person or foreign legal entity shell acquire ownership over land, except through legal inheritance. Ownership thus acquired shall be duly transferred.
(2) A foreign physical person or foreign legal entity shall be free to acquire user rights, building rights and other real rights on terms established by a law.

 
Article 23. The state shall establish conditions conducive to the free development of science, education and the arts, and shall assist that development. It shall organize the conservation of all national monuments of history and culture.
Article 24.

(1) The Republic of Bulgaria shall conduct its foreign policy in accordance with the principles and norms of international law.
(2) The foreign policy of the Republic of Bulgaria shall have as its uppermost objective the national security and independence of the country, the well-being and the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Bulgarian citizens, and the promotion of a just international order.

 
Chapter Two
Fundamental Rights and Obligations of Citizens

Article 25.

(1) A Bulgarian citizen shall be anyone born of at least one parent holding a Bulgarian citizenship, or born on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, should he not be entitled to any other citizenship by virtue of origin. Bulgarian citizenship shall further be acquirable through naturalization.
(2) A person of Bulgarian origin shall acquire Bulgarian citizenship through a facilitated procedure.
(3) No one shall be deprived of a Bulgarian citizenship acquired by birth.
(4) No citizen of the Republic of Bulgaria shall be expatriated, or extradited to another state.
(5) Any Bulgarian citizen abroad shall be accorded the protection of the Republic of Bulgaria.
(6) The conditions and procedure for the acquiring, preservation or loss of Bulgarian citizenship shall be established by a law.

 
Article 26.

(1) Irrespective of where they are, all citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria shall be vested with all rights and obligations proceeding from this Constitution.
(2) Foreigners residing in the Republic of Bulgaria shall be vested with all ` rights and obligations proceeding from this Constitution, except those rights and obligations for which a Bulgarian citizenship is required by this Constitution or by another law.

 
Article 27.

(1) Foreigners residing legally in the country shall not be expelled or extradited to another state against their will, except in accordance with the provisions and the procedures established by a law.
(2) The Republic of Bulgaria shall grant asylum to foreigners persecuted for their opinions or activity in the defense of' internationally recognized rights and freedoms.
(3) The conditions and procedure for the granting of asylum shall be established by a law.

 
Article 28. Everyone shall have the right to life. Any attempt upon a human life shall be punished as a most severe crime.
Article 29.

(1) No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, or to forcible assimilation.
(2) No one shall be subjected to medical, scientific or other experimentation without his voluntary written consent.

 
Article 30.

(1) Everyone shall be entitled to personal freedom and inviolability.
(2) No one shall be detained or subjected to inspection, search or any other infringement of his personal inviolability except on the conditions and in a manner established by a law.
(3) The state authorities shall be free to detain a citizen only in the urgent circumstances expressly stipulated by a law, and shall immediately advise the judicial authorities accordingly. The judicial authorities shall rule on the legality of a detention within the next 24 hours.
(4) Everyone shall be entitled to legal counsel from the moment of detention or from the moment of being charged.
(5) Everyone shall be entitled to meet his legal counsel in private. The confidentiality of such communication shall be inviolable.

 
Article 31. (1) Anyone charged with a crime shall be brought before a court within the time established by a law.
(2) No one shall be forced to plead guilty, and no one shall be convicted solely by virtue of a confession.
(3) A defendant shall be considered innocent until proven otherwise by a final verdict.
(4) The rights of a defendant shall not be restricted beyond what is necessary for the purposes of a fair trial.
(5) Prisoners shall be kept in conditions conducive to the exercise of those of their fundamental rights which are not restricted by virtue of their sentence.
(6) Prison sentences shall be served only at the facilities established by a law.
(7) There shall be no limitation to the prosecution and the execution of a sentence for crimes against peace and humanity.

 

 
Article 32.

(1) The privacy of citizens shall be inviolable. Everyone shall be entitled to protection against any illegal interference in his private or family affairs and against encroachments on his honour, dignity and reputation.
(2) No one shall be followed, photographed, filmed, recorded or subjected to any other similar activity without his knowledge or despite his express disapproval, except when such actions are permitted by a law.

 
Article 33.

(1) The home shall be inviolable. No one shall enter or stay inside a home without its occupant's consent, except in the cases expressly stipulated by a law.
(2) Entry or stay inside a home without the consent of its occupant or without the judicial authorities' permission shall be allowed only for the purposes of preventing an immediately impending crime or a crime in progress, for the capture of a criminal, or in extreme necessity.

 
Article 34.

(1) The freedom and confidentiality of correspondence and all other communications shall be inviolable.
(2) Exceptions to this provision shall be allowed only with the permission of the judicial authorities for the purpose of discovering or preventing a grave crime.

 
Article 35.

(1) Everyone shall be free to choose a place of residence and shall have the right to freedom of movement on the territory of the country and to leave the country. This right shall be restricted only by virtue of a law in the name of national security, public health, and the rights and freedoms of other citizens.
(2) Every Bulgarian citizen shall have the right to return to the country.

 
Article 36.

(1) The study and use of the Bulgarian language shall be a right and an obligation of every Bulgarian citizen.
(2) Citizens whose mother tongue is not Bulgarian shall have the right to study and use their own language alongside the compulsory study of the Bulgarian language.
(3) The situations in which only the official language shall be used shall be established by a law.

 
Article 37.

(1) The freedom of conscience, the freedom of thought and the choice of religion and of religious or atheistic views shall be inviolable. The state shall assist the maintenance of tolerance and respect among the believers from different denominations, and among believers and non-believers.
(2) The freedom of conscience and religion shall not be practiced to the detriment of national security, public order, public health and morals, or of the rights and freedoms of others.

 
Article 38. No one shall be persecuted or restricted in his rights because of his views, nor shall be obligated or forced to provide information about his own or another person's views.
Article 39.

(1) Everyone shall be entitled to express an opinion or to publicize it through words, written or oral, sound or image, or in any other way
(2) This right shall not be used to the detriment of the rights and reputation of others, or for the incitement of a forcible change of the constitutionally established order, the perpetration of a crime, or the incitement of enmity or violence against anyone.

 
Article 40.

(1) The press and the other mass information media shall be free and shall not be subjected to censorship.
(2) An injunction on or a confiscation of printed matter or another information medium shall be allowed only through an act of the judicial authorities in the case of an encroachment on public decency or incitement of a forcible change of the constitutionally established order, the perpetration of a crime, or the incitement of violence against anyone. An injunction suspension shall lose force if not followed by a confiscation within 24 hours.

 
Article 41.

(1) Everyone shall be entitled to seek, obtain and disseminate information. This right shall not be exercised to the detriment of the rights and reputation of others, or to the detriment of national security, public order, public health and morality.
(2) Citizens shall be entitled to obtain information from state bodies and agencies on any matter of legitimate interest to them which is not a state or official secret and does not affect the rights of others.

 
Article 42.

(1) Every citizen above the age of 18, with the exception of those placed under judicial interdiction or serving a prison sentence, shall be free to elect state and local authorities and vote in referendums.
(2) The organization and procedure for the holding of elections and referendums shall be established by a law.

 
Article 43.

(1) Citizens shall have the right to peaceful and unarmed assembly for meetings and manifestations.
(2) The procedure for the organizing and holding of meetings and manifestations shall be established by a law.
(3) No notice to the municipal authorities shall be required for meetings held indoors.

 
Article 44.

(1) Citizens shall be free to associate.
(2) No organization shall act to the detriment of the country's sovereignty and national integrity, or the unity of the nation, nor shall it incite racial, national, ethnic or religious enmity or an encroachment on the rights and freedoms of citizens; no organization shall establish clandestine or paramilitary structures or shall seek to attain its aims through violence.
(3) The law shall establish which organizations shall be subject to registration, the procedure for their termination, and their relationships with the state.

 
Article 45. Citizens shall have the right to lodge complaints, proposals and petitions with the state authorities.
Article 46.

(1) Matrimony shall be a free union between a man and a woman. Only a civil marriage shall be legal.
(2) Spouses shall have equal rights and obligations in matrimony and the family.
(3) The form of a marriage, the conditions and procedure for its conclusion and termination, and all private and material relations between the spouses shall be established by a law.

 
Article 47.

(1) The raising and upbringing of children until they come of legal age shall be a right and obligation of their parents and shall be assisted by the state.
(2) Mothers shall be the object of special protection on the part of the state and shall be guaranteed prenatal and postnatal leave, free obstetric care, alleviated working conditions and other social assistance.
(3) Children born out of wedlock shall enjoy equal rights with those born in wedlock.
(4) Abandoned children shall enjoy the protection of the state and society.
(5) The conditions and procedure for the restriction or suspension of parental rights shall be established by a law.

 
Article 48.

(1) Citizens shall have the right to work. The state shall take care to provide conditions for the exercising of this right.
(2) The state shall create conditions conducive to the exercise of the right to work by the physically or mentally handicapped.
(3) Everyone shall be free to choose an occupation and place of work.
(4) No one shall be compelled to do forced labour.
(5) Workers and employees shall be entitled to healthy and non-hazardous working conditions, to guaranteed minimum pay and remuneration for the actual work performed, and to rest and leave, in accordance with conditions and procedures established by a law.

 
Article 49. (1) Workers and employees shall be free to form trade union organizations and alliances in defense of their interests related to work and social security. (2) Employers shall be free to associate in defense of their economic interests.
Article 50. Workers and employees shall have the right to strike in defense of their collective economic and social interests. This right shall be exercised in accordance with conditions and procedures established by a law.
Article 51.

(1) Citizens shall have the right to social security and welfare aid.
(2) The state shall provide social security for the temporarily unemployed in accordance with conditions and procedures established by a law.
(3) The aged without relatives and unable to support themselves, as well as the physically and mentally handicapped shall enjoy the special protection of the state and society.

 
Article 52.

(1) Citizens shall have the right to medical insurance guaranteeing them affordable medical care, and to free medical care in accordance with conditions and procedures established by a law.
(2) Citizensâ medical care shall be financed from the state budget, by employers, through private and collective health-insurance schemes, and from other sources in accordance with conditions and procedures established by a law.
(3) The state shall protect the health of citizens and shall promote the development of sports and tourism.
(4) No one shall be subject to forcible medical treatment or sanitary measures except in circumstances established by a law. The state shall exercise control over all medical facilities and over the production and trade in pharmaceuticals, biologically active substances and medical equipment.

 
Article 53.

(1) Everyone shall have the right to education.
(2) School attendance up to the age of 16 shall be compulsory.
(3) Primary and secondary education in state and municipal schools shall be free. In circumstances established by a law, the higher educational establishments shall provide education free of charge.
(4) Higher educational establishments shall enjoy academic autonomy.
(5) Citizens and organizations shall be free to found schools m accordance with conditions and procedures established by a law. The education they provide shall fit the requirements of the state.
(6) The state shall promote education by opening and financing schools, by supporting capable school and university students, and by providing opportunities for occupational training and retraining. It shall exercise control over all kinds and levels of schooling.

 
Article 54.

(1) Everyone shall have the right to avail himself of the national and universal human cultural values and to develop his own culture in accordance with his ethnic self-identification, which shall be recognized and guaranteed by the law.
(2) Artistic, scientific and technological creativity shall be recognized and guaranteed by the law.
(3) The state shall protect all inventors' rights, copyrights and related rights.

 
Article 55. Citizens shall have the right to a healthy and favourable environment corresponding to the established standards and norms. They shall protect the environment.
Article 56. Everyone shall have the right to legal defense whenever his rights or legitimate interests are violated or endangered. He shall have the right to be accompanied by legal counsel when appearing before an agency of the state.
Article 57.

(1) The fundamental civil rights shall be irrevocable.
(2) Rights shall not be abused, nor shall they be exercised to the detriment of the rights or the legitimate interests of others.
(3) Following a proclamation of war, martial law or a state of emergency the exercise of individual civil rights may be temporarily curtailed by a law, except for the rights established by Article 28, Article 29, Article 31 para 1, 2 and 3, Article 32 para 1, and Article 37.

 
Article 58.

(1) Citizens shall observe and implement the Constitution and the laws. They shall respect the rights and the legitimate interests of others.
(2) Obligations established by the Constitution and the law shall not be defaulted upon on grounds of religious or other convictions.

 
Article 59.

(1) To defend the country shall be a duty and a matter of honour of every Bulgarian citizen. High treason and betrayal of the country shall be treated as crimes of utmost gravity and shall be punished with all the severity of the law.
(2) The carrying out of military obligations, and the conditions and procedure for exemption therefrom or for replacing them with alternative service shall be established by a law.

 
Article 60.

(1) Citizens shall pay taxes and duties established by a law proportionately to their income and property. (2) Any tax concession or surtax shall be established by a law.

 
Article 61. Citizens shall assist the state and society in the case of a natural or other disaster, on conditions and in a manner established by a law.
 
Chapter Three
National Assembly

Article 62. The National Assembly shall be vested with the legislative authority and shall exercise parliamentary control.
Article 63. The National Assembly shall consist of 240 members.
Article 64.

(1) The National Assembly shall be elected for a term of four years.
(2) In case of war, armed hostilities or another state of emergency occurring during or after the expiry of the National Assembly's term, its mandate shall be extended until the expire of the circumstances.
(3) Elections for a new National Assembly shall be held within two months from the expiry of the mandate of the preceding one.

 
Article 65.

(1) Eligible for election to the National Assembly shall be any Bulgarian citizen who does not hold another citizenship, is above the age of 21, is not under a judicial interdiction, and is not serving a prison sentence.
(2) A candidate for a National Assembly seat holding a state post shall resign upon the registration of his candidacy.

 
Article 66. The legitimacy of an election may be contested before the Constitutional Court by a procedure established by a law.
Article 67.

(1) Members of the National Assembly shall represent not only their constituencies but the entire nation. No Member shall be held to a mandatory mandate.
(2) Members of the National Assembly shall act on the basis of the Constitution and the laws and in accordance with their conscience and convictions.

 
Article 68.

(1) A Member of the National Assembly shall not occupy another state office. nor shall engage in any other activity which the law defines as incompatible with the status of a Member of the National Assembly.
(2) A Member of the National Assembly elected as a minister shall cease to serve as a Member during his term of office as a minister. During that period, he shall be substituted in the National Assembly in a manner established by a law.

 
Article 69. Members of the National Assembly shall not be held criminally liable for their opinions or votes in the National Assembly.
Article 70. A Member of the National Assembly shall be immune from detention or criminal prosecution except for the perpetration of a grave crime, when a warrant from the National Assembly or, in between its session, from the Chairman of the National Assembly, shall be required. No warrant shall be required when a Member is detained in the course of committing a grave crime; the National Assembly or, in between its session, the Chairman of the National Assembly, shall be notified forthwith.
Article 71. The National Assembly shall establish the emoluments of its Members.
Article 72.

(1) A Member's prerogatives shall expire before the expiry of his term of office upon any of the following occurrences: 1. resignation presented before the National Assembly; 2. enforcement of a prison sentence for an intentional crime, or of an unsuspendied prison sentence; 3. establishment of ineligibility or incompatibility; 4. death.
(2) Instances 1 and 2 shall require a resolution of the National Assembly; instance 3 shall require a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

 
Article 73. The National Assembly shall be organized and shall act in accordance with the Constitution and its own internal rules.
Article 74. The National Assembly shall be a permanently acting body. It shall be free to determine its recesses.
Article 75. A newly elected National Assembly shall be convened for a first session by the President of the Republic within a month following its election. Should the President fail to do so, it shall be convened by one-fifth of the Members of the National Assembly.
Article 76.

(1) The first session of the National Assembly shall be opened by the senior present Member.
(2) At the first session the Members shall swear the following oath: "I swear in the name of the Republic of Bulgaria to observe the Constitution and the laws of the country and in all my actions to be guided by the interests of the people. I am sworn."
(3) The National Assembly shall elect at the same session its Chairman and Vice Chairmen.

 
Article 77.

(1) The Chairman of the National Assembly shall: 1. represent the National Assembly; 2. propose the agenda for each session; 3. open, chair and close the sessions of the National Assembly and maintain orderly proceedings; 4. attest by his signature the contents of the acts passed by the National Assembly; promulgate all resolutions, declarations and addresses passed by the National Assembly; 6. organize the National Assembly's international contacts.
(2) The Vice Chairmen of the National Assembly shall assist the Chairman and carry out any activities devolved by him.

 
Article 78. The National Assembly shall be convened for its sessions by its Chairman: 1. on his own initiative; 2. at the request of one-fifth of its members; 3. at the request of the President; 4. at the request of the Council of Ministers.
Article 79.

(1) The National Assembly shall elect permanent and ad hoc committees from among its Members.
(2) The permanent committees shall aid the work of the National Assembly and shall exercise parliamentary control on its behalf.
(3) Ad hoc committees shall be elected to conduct inquiries and investigations.

 
Article 80. Any official or citizen summoned by a parliamentary commission shall be obligated to testify and present any required documents.
Article 81.

(1) The National Assembly shall be free to hold a session and pass resolutions when more than half of its Members are present.
(2) The National Assembly shall pass laws and other acts by a majority of more than one-half of the present Members, except when a qualified majority is required by the Constitution.
(3) Voting shall be personal and open, except when the Constitution requires or the National Assembly resolves on a secret ballot.

 
Article 82. Sessions of the National Assembly shall be public. The National Assembly may by exception resolve to hold some sessions behind closed doors.
Article 83.

(1) Ministers shall be free to attend the sessions of the National Assembly and the parliamentary committees. They shall be given priority in addressing the Members.
(2) The National Assembly and the parliamentary committees shall be free to order ministers to attend their sessions and respond to questions.

 
Article 84. The National Assembly shall: 1. pass, amend, and rescind the laws; 2. pass the state budget bill and the budget report; 3. establish the taxes and their size; 4. schedule the elections for a President of the Republic; 5. resolve on the holding of a national referendum; 6. elect and dismiss the Prime Minister and, on his motion, the members of the Council of Ministers; effect changes in the government on a motion from the Prime Minister; 7. create, transform and close down ministries on a motion from the Prime Minister; 8. elect and dismiss the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank and the heads of other institutions established by a law; 9. approve state-loan agreements; 10. resolve on the declaration of war and conclusion of peace; 11. approve any deployment and use of Bulgarian armed forces outside the country's borders, and the deployment of foreign troops on the territory of the country or their crossing of that territory., 12. on a motion from the President or the Council of Ministers, introduce martial law or a state of emergency on all or part of the country's territory; 13. grant amnesty; 14. institute orders and medals; 15. establish the official holidays.
Article 85.

(1) The National Assembly shall ratify or denounce by a law all international instruments which: 1. are of a political or military nature; 2. concern the Republic of Bulgaria's participation in international organizations; 3. envisage corrections to the borders of the Republic of Bulgaria; 4. contain obligations for the treasury; 5. envisage the state's participation in international arbitration or legal proceedings; 6. concern fundamental human rights; 7. affect the action of the law or require new legislation in order to be enforced; 8. expressly require ratification.
(2) Treaties ratified by the National Assembly may be amended or denounced only by their built-in procedure or in accordance with the universally acknowledged norms of international law.
(3) The conclusion of an international treaty requiring an amendment to the Constitution shall be preceded by the passage of such an amendment.

 
Article 86.

(1) The National Assembly shall pass laws, resolutions, declarations and addresses.
(2) The laws and resolutions passed by the National Assembly shall be binding on all state bodies, all organizations and all citizens.

 
Article 87.

(1) Any Member of the National Assembly or the Council of Ministers shall have the right to introduce a bill.
(2) The State Budget Bill shall be drawn up and presented by the Council of Ministers.

 
Article 88.

(1) Bills shall be read and voted upon twice, during different sessions. By way of exception, the National Assembly may resolve to hold both ballots during a single session.
(2) All other acts of the National Assembly shall require a single ballot. Each passed act shall be promulgated in Durzhaven Vestnik (The State Gazette) within l5 days from its passage.

 
Article 89.

(1) A motion of no confidence in the Council of Ministers shall require a seconding by one-fifth or more of the Members of the National Assembly. To be passed, the motion shall require a majority of more than half of the votes of all National Assembly Members. (2) Should the National Assembly vote no confidence in the Prime Minister or the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister shall hand in his government's resignation.
(3) Should the National Assembly reject a vote of no confidence in the Council of Ministers, the next motion for a vote of no confidence on the same grounds shall not be made before the expiry of six months.

 
Article 90.

(1) Members of the National Assembly shall have the right to address questions and interpolations to the Council of Ministers and to individual ministers, who shall be obligated to respond.
(2) A motion by one-fifth of the Members of the National Assembly shall be required to turn an interpolation into a debate on which a resolution shall be passed.

 
Article 91.

(1) The National Assembly shall establish an Accountancy Chamber to control the implementation of the budget.
(2) The organization, authority and procedures by which the Accountancy Chamber shall act shall be established by a law.

 
Chapter Four
President of the Republic

Article 92.

(1) The President shall be the head of state. He shall embody the unity of the nation and shall represent the state in its international relations.
(2) The President shall be assisted in his actions by a Vice President.

 
Article 93.

(1) The President shall be elected directly by the voters for a period of five years by a procedure established by a law.
(2) Eligible for President shall be any natural-born Bulgarian citizen over 40 years of age and qualified to be elected to the National Assembly, who has resided in the country for the five years preceding the election. (3) To be elected, a candidate shall require more than one-half of the valid ballots, provided that more than half of all eligible voters have cast their ballots in the election.
(4) Should none of the candidates for President be elected, a runoff vote shall be held within seven days between the two top candidates. The winner shall be the candidate who wins the majority of the vote.
(5) A presidential election shall be held not earlier than three months and not later than two months before the expiry of the term of office of the incumbent President.
(6) The Constitutional Court shall rule upon any challenge to the legality of a presidential election within a month's time after the election.

 
Article 94. The Vice President shall be elected at the same time and on the same ticket as the President, on the same conditions and by the same procedure.
Article 95.

(1) The President and the Vice President shall be eligible for only one re-election to the same office.
(2) The President and the Vice President shall not serve as Members of the National Assembly or engage in any other state, public or economic activity, nor shall they participate in the leadership of any political party.

 
Article 96. The President and the Vice President shall swear before the National Assembly the oath established by Article 76 para 2.
Article 97.

(1) The President's or Vice President's authority shall expire before the expiry of his term of office upon any of the following occurrences: 1. resignation submitted before the Constitutional Court;
2. lasting incapacitation caused by a grave illness; 3. in pursuant to Article 103. 4. death;
(2) In instances 1 and 2, the prerogatives of the President or Vice President shall be suspended upon the Constitutional Court's establishing the existence of the respective circumstances;
(3) In instance 1, the Vice President shall assume the duties of the President until the expiry of the term of office.
(4) Should the Vice President be incapable of assuming the President s duties, the President's prerogatives shall be assumed by the Chairman of the National Assembly until the election of a new President and Vice President. Elections for President and Vice President shall then be held within two months.

 
Article 98. The President of the Republic shall: 1. schedule the elections for a National Assembly and for the bodies of local self-government and shall set the date for national referendums pursuant to a resolution of the National Assembly; 2. address the nation and the National Assembly; 3. conclude international treaties in the circumstances established by the law; 4. promulgate the laws; 5. on a motion from the Council of Ministers, determine the borders of the administrative territorial units and their centers; 6. on a motion from the Council of Ministers, appoint and dismiss the heads of the Republic of Bulgaria's diplomatic and permanent missions at international organizations, and receive the credentials and the letters of recall of the foreign diplomatic representatives to this country; 7. appoint and dismiss from office other state officials, established by a law; 8. award orders and medals; 9. grant, restore, relieve from and withdraw Bulgarian citizenship; 10. grant asylum; 11. exercise the right to pardon; 12. cancel uncollectible debts to the state; 13. name landmarks and communities of national importance; 14. inform the National Assembly on basic problems within his prerogatives.
Article 99.

(1) Following consultations with the parliamentary groups, the President shall appoint the Prime Minister-designate nominated by the party holding the highest number of seats in the National Assembly to form a government.
(2) Should the Prime Minister-designate fail to form a government within seven days, the President shall entrust this task to a Prime Minister-designate nominated by the second largest parliamentary group.
(3) Should the new Prime Minister-designate also fail to form a government within the period established by the preceding paragraph, the President shall entrust the task to a Prime Minister-designate nominated by one of the minor parliamentary groups.
(4) Should the consultations prove successful, the President shall ask the National Assembly to elect the Prime Minister-designate.
(5) Absent an agreement on the formation of a government, the President shall appoint a caretaker government, dissolve the National Assembly and schedule new elections within the period established by Article 64 para 3. The President's act on the dissolution of the National Assembly shall also establish the date of the new general elections.
(6) The procedure for forming a government established by the preceding paragraphs shall further apply in the instances envisaged by Article 111 para 1.
(7) In the instances envisaged by para 5 and 6, the President shall not dissolve the National Assembly during the last three months of his term of office. Should Parliament fail to form a government within the established period, the President shall appoint a caretaker government.

 
Article 100.

(1) The President shall be the Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria.
(2) The President shall appoint and dismiss the higher command of the Armed Forces and shall bestow all higher military ranks on a motion from the Council of Ministers.
(3) The President shall preside over the Consultative National Security Council, the status of which shall be established by a law.
(4) The President shall proclaim general or partial mobilization on a motion from the Council of Ministers in accordance with the law.
(5) The President shall proclaim a state of war in the case of an armed attack against Bulgaria or whenever urgent actions are required by virtue of an international commitment, or shall proclaim martial law or any other state of emergency whenever the National Assembly is not in session and cannot be convened. The National Assembly shall then be convened forthwith to endorse the decision.

 
Article 101.

(1) Within the term established by Article 88 para 3, the President shall be free to return a bill together with his motives to the National Assembly for further debate, which shall not be denied.
(2) The new passage of such a bill shall require a majority of more than half of all Members of the National Assembly.
(3) Following a new passage of the bill by the National Assembly, the President shall promulgate it within seven days following its receipt.

 
Article 102.

(1) Within the prerogatives vested in him, the President shall issue decrees, addresses and messages.
(2) The President's decrees shall be countersigned by the Prime Minister or the minister concerned.
(3) No countersigning shall be required for decrees pertaining to: 1. the appointment of a caretaker government; 2. the appointment of a Prime Minister-designate; 3. dissolution of the National Assembly; 4. return of a bill to the National Assembly for further debate; 5. the organization and manner of action of the offices of the Presidency and the appointment of their staff; 6. the scheduling of an election or referendum; 7. the promulgation of a law.

 
Article 103.

(1) The President and Vice President shall not be held liable for actions committed in the performance of their duties, except for high treason, or a violation of the Constitution.
(2) An impeachment shall require a motion from no fewer than one-fourth of all Members of the National Assembly and shall stand if supported by more than two-thirds of the Members.
(3) An impeachment against the President or Vice President shall be tried by the Constitutional Court within a month following the lodging of the impeachment. Should the Constitutional Court convict the President or Vice President of high treason, or of a violation of the Constitution, the President's or Vice President's prerogatives shall be suspended.
(4) No one shall place the President or the Vice President under detention, nor shall initiate criminal proceedings against them.

 
Article 104. The President shall be free to devolve to the Vice President the prerogatives established by Article 98 subparas 7, 9, 10 and 11.
 
Chapter Five
Council of Ministers

Article 105.

(1) The Council of Ministers shall head the implementation of the state's domestic and foreign policy.
(2) The Council of Ministers shall ensure the public order and national security and shall exercise overall guidance over the state administration and the Armed Forces.

 
Article 106. The Council of Ministers shall manage the implementation of the state budget; organize the management of the state's assets; conclude, confirm or denounce international treaties when authorized to do so by law.
Article 107. The Council of Ministers shall rescind any illegitimate or improper act issued by a minister.
Article 108.

(1) The Council of Ministers shall consist of a Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and ministers.
(2) The Prime Minister shall head, coordinate and bear responsibility for the overall policy of the government. He shall appoint and dismiss the deputy ministers.
(3) Each member of the Council of Ministers shall head a ministry, except insofar as the National Assembly resolves otherwise. Each minister shall account for his own activity.

 
Article 109. The members of the Council of Ministers shall swear before the National Assembly the oath established by Article 76 para 2.
Article 110. Eligible for election to the Council of Ministers shall be any Bulgarian citizen qualified to be elected to the National Assembly.
Article 111.

(1) The authority of the Council of Ministers shall expire upon any of the following occurrences: 1. a vote of no confidence in the Council of Ministers or the Prime Minister. 2. the resignation of the Council of Ministers or the Prime Minister: 3. death of the Prime Minister.
(2) The Council of Ministers shall hand in its resignation before the newly elected National Assembly. (3) Should any of the above occur, the Council of Ministers shall continue to act until the election of a new Council of Ministers.

 
Article 112.

(1) The Council of Ministers shall be free to ask for the National Assembly's vote of confidence in its overall policy, its program declaration, or on a specific issue. A resolution shall require a majority of more than half of the votes of the National Assembly Members present.
(2) Should the Council of Ministers fail to receive the requested vote of confidence, the Prime Minister shall hand in the governmentâs resignation.

 
Article 113.

(1) A member of the Council of Ministers shall not hold a post or engage in any activity incompatible with the status of a Member of the National Assembly.
(2) The National Assembly shall be free to determine any other post or activity which a member of the Council of Ministers shall not hold or engage in.

 
Article 114. Pursuant to and in implementation of the laws, the Council of Ministers shall adopt decrees, ordinances and resolutions. The Council of Ministers shall promulgate rules and regulations by decree.
Article 115. A minister shall issue rules, regulations, instructions and orders.
Article 116.

(1) State employees shall be the executors of the nation's will and interests. In the performance of their duty they shall be guided solely by the law and shall be politically neutral.
(2) A law shall establish the conditions for the appointment and dismissal of state employees and the conditions on which they shall be free to belong to political parties and trade unions, as well as to exercise their right to strike.

 
Chapter Six
Judicial Power
Article 117.

(1) The judicial branch of government shall safeguard the rights and legitimate interests of all citizens, legal entities and the state.
(2) The judicial branch shall be independent. In the performance of their functions, all judges, court assessors, prosecutors and investigating magistrates shall be subservient only to the law.
(3) The judicial branch of government shall have an independent budget.

 
Article 118. All judicial power shall be exercised in the name of the people.
Article 119.

(1) Justice shall be administered by the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Supreme Administrative Court, courts of appeals, courts of assizes, courts-martial and district courts.
(2) Specialized courts may be set up by virtue of a law.
(3) There shall be no extraordinary courts.

 
Article 120.

(1) The courts shall supervise the legality of the acts and actions of the administrative bodies.
(2) Citizens and legal entities shall be free to contest any administrative act which affects them, except those listed expressly by the laws.

 
Article 121.

(1) The courts shall ensure the equality and mutual challengability of the parties to a judicial trial.
(2) Judicial proceedings shall ensure the establishment of truth.
(3) All courts shall conduct their hearings in public, unless provided otherwise by a law.
(4) All court rulings shall be motivated.

 
Article 122.

(1) Citizens and legal entities shall have the right to legal counsel at all stages of a trial.
(2) The procedure by which the right to legal counsel shall be practiced shall be established by a law.

 
Article 123. Court assessors shall participate in the trial process in certain cases established by a law.
Article 124. The Supreme Court of Cassation shall exercise supreme judicial oversight as to the precise and equal application of the law by all courts.
Article 125.

(1) The Supreme Administrative Court shall exercise supreme judicial oversight as to the precise and equal application of the law in administrative justice.
(2) The Supreme Administrative Court shall rule on all challenges to the legality of acts of the Council of Ministers and the individual ministers, and of other acts established by a law.

 
Article 126.

(1) The structure of the prosecutors' office shall correspond to that of the courts.
(2) The Chief Prosecutor shall oversee the legality and provide methodological guidance to all other prosecutors.

 
Article 127. The Prosecutor's Office shall ensure that legality is observed: 1. by bringing charges against criminal suspects and supporting the charges in common criminal trials; 2. by overseeing the enforcement of penalties and other measures of compulsion; 3. by acting for the rescindment of all illegitimate acts; 4. by taking part in civil and administrative suits whenever required to do so by law.
Article 128. The investigating bodies shall be within the system of the judicial branch. They shall perform the preliminary investigation in criminal cases.
Article 129.

(1) Justices, prosecutors and investigating magistrates shall be elected, promoted, demoted, reassigned and dismissed by the Supreme Judicial Council.
(2) The Chairman of the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Chairman of the Supreme Administrative Court and the Chief Prosecutor shall be appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic on a motion from the Supreme Judicial Council for a period of seven years, and shall not be eligible for a second term in office. The President shall not deny an appointment or dismissal on a repeated motion.
(3) Justices, prosecutors and investigating magistrates shall become unsubstitutable upon completing a third year in the respective office. They shall be dismissed only upon retirement, resignation, upon the enforcement of a prison sentence for a deliberate crime, or upon lasting actual disability to perform their functions over more than one year.

 
Article 130.

(1) The Supreme Judicial Council shall consist of 25 members. Sitting on it ex officio shall be the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Chairman of the Supreme Administrative Court and the Chief Prosecutor.
(2) Eligible for election to the Supreme Judicial Council besides its ex officio members shall be practicing lawyers of high professional and moral integrity with at least 15 years of professional experience.
(3) Eleven of the members of the Supreme Judicial Council shall be elected by the National Assembly, and eleven shall be elected by the bodies of the judicial branch. (4) The elected members of the Supreme Judicial Council shall serve terms of five years. They shall not be eligible for immediate re-election.
(5) The meetings of the Supreme Judicial Council shall be chaired by the Minister of Justice, who shall not be entitled to a vote.

 
Article 131. Any resolution of the Supreme Judicial Council to appoint, promote, demote, reassign or dismiss a justice, a prosecutor or an investigating magistrate, or a resolution pursuant to Article 129 para 2, shall be passed by a secret ballot.
Article 132.

(1) Justices, prosecutors and investigating magistrates shall enjoy the same immunity as the Members of the National Assembly.
(2) The immunity of a justice, prosecutor or investigating magistrate shall be lifted by the Supreme Judicial Council only in the circumstances established by the law.

 
Article 133. The organization and the activity of the Supreme Judicial Council, of the courts, the prosecution and the investigation, the status of the justices, prosecutors and investigating magistrates, the conditions and the procedure for the appointment and dismissal of justices, court assessors, prosecutors and investigating magistrates and the materialization of their liability shall be established by a law.
Article 134. (1) The bar shall be free, independent and autonomous. It shall assist citizens and legal entities in the defense of their rights and legitimate interests. The organization and forms of activity of the bar shall be established by a law.

 
Chapter Seven
Local Self-Government and Local Administration