Republic of Bulgaria: Referendum, 6 November 2016

At stake in this election:

• This referendum will have three provisions presented to voters.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Rosen PLEVNELIEV (since 22 January 2012)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Boyko BORISOV (since 7 November 2014)
• Assembly: Bulgaria has a unicameral Narodno Sabranie (National Assembly) composed of 240 seats.

Electoral requirements:

• For the referendum to be valid, voter turnout must be at least as high as that of the previous National Assembly elections, and it must be greater than 20% of all citizens with voting rights. For the referendum to pass, a simple majority of votes in favor is required.

About the referendum:

• This referendum will address three questions arising from a petition raised by television showman Slavi TRIFONOV.
  • The first question pertains to the introduction of a majoritarian system to election members of parliament.
  • The second will determine if compulsory voting will be introduced.
  • The third provision pertains to the reduction of the state subsidy for political parties and coalitions.
• TRIFONOV proposed six questions to be brought to referendum, but the Constitutional Court only passed the three provisions mentioned above.

Main provisions in the referendum:

• “Do you support electing the members of parliament through a majoritarian voting system with absolute majority in two rounds?”
• “Do you support the introduction of compulsory voting in elections and referenda?”
• “Do you support cutting the state subsidy for political parties and coalitions to 1 lev per valid vote in the latest parliamentary elections?”

Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 7,186,893 (July 2015 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 6,858,304 (2014)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 3,677,429 (July 2015)

·         Is Bulgaria a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Bulgaria ratified CEDAW: Yes (8 February 1982)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 48 (20%)

·         Human Development Index Position: 59

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Bulgaria a signatory to CRPD: Yes (27 September 2007)

·         Has Bulgaria ratified CRPD: Yes (22 March 2012)

·         Population with a disability: 1,078,034 (est.)