Elections

The Central Election Commission (CEC)  informs all Bulgarian citizens with voting rights who happen to be abroad on the day of the presidential elections and the referendum - November 6 -  that they have the right to vote no matter whether they have filed a declaration to vote abroad or not.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working within the limits set by the Electoral Code and may not open more election sections than the number stipulated by law, stated on Nova TV Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov.

Thus, despite the wish of Bulgarians living in the UK, there will not be more than 35 sections and there must be at least 60 voting declarations filed for every single one.

In the delta of vested interests and corruption, a marshland where triangular relationships rule the roost, democracy could never lead a life without peril. This is where democracy ends up shrinking and sinking; where it is held to ransom and manipulated. This is where its constitutions and laws end up nothing more than empty, fragile shells.

The Supreme Administrative Court has annulled the decision of the Central Election Commission concerning the regulations for the granting and spending of funds for media packages in the national referendum on November 6, 2016 in its part stipulating that the funds are intended for TVs and radios with national coverage and print media with national circulation.

'Against Elections: The Case for Democracy' by David Van Reybrouck (Bodley Head, 208 pages, $15)

Civil society groups say legitimate complaints about Montenegro's electoral roll have not been addressed, raising concern about the outcome of the October 16 general election.

Initiative committees, parties and coalitions which do not receive a state subsidy and, by law, have the right to media packages of up to BGN 40,000 for "for" and "against" campaigns for the presidential elections and the referendum on November 6 can cover their participation in national TV stations and radios only.

A test of the experimental ballot counting by using special machines will probably be confined to Bulgaria's capital Sofia at the forthcoming presidential vote, an electoral official has said.

Aleksandar Andreev, head of the Central Electoral Committee, has told Focus Radio that the constituencies implementing the method for the first time are yet to be determined.

The Green Party and Glas Naroden signed a Memorandum for joint participation in the upcoming presidential elections on Saturday.

I decided that "comparative politics" is the best way to avoid my hopelessness concerning Turkey's politics. I think that, after all, there are many other countries in bad shape all over the world, and even the most advanced countries can be on the list nowadays.