8-9 February 2009

The Ceremony was held in the building, where the Assembly originally met in the city of Turnovo. Attending the event were the Floor Leaders of Coalition for Bulgaria and the National Movement for Surge and Stability, MPs, magistrates, National Ombudsman Ginyo Ganev, scholars and public figures.

We have gathered here today with the idea not only to bring back to the memory of our society the works of the Constituent Assembly and the birth of the Turnovo Constitution, but most of all to recall the spirit of our predecessors of a unifying national cause, of the high responsibility of everyone holding public office in carrying out solely the interests and priorities of the society and the country, noted Georgi Pirinski. We have to look back at our history in the period after April 16 1879, and draw on the experience of the extreme confrontations and numerous crises, which marked for ever the future political life in Bulgaria, he added.

Today, once again, we tune with the enthusiasm and fervor of our forefathers, with the aim to recall to their sound judgments and achievements as founders of contemporary Bulgaria, in the face of our proper challenges, pointed out Georgi Pirinski.

Bulgaria is now in the 20th year since the changes started on November 10, 1989 and on society’s agenda remain the issues of the Bulgarian statehood, of the people’s representation in government and in what consists the essence of the Constitution. Mr. Pirinski reminded the audience that 19 years ago, in the very same building, the 7th Great National Assembly had started its work and had finished with the adoption of the current Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The Head of Veliko Turnovo St. Cyril and St. Methodius University, prof. Plamen Legkostup, prof. Doino Doinov, the Bulgarian Ombudsman Ginio Ganev and the Turnovo Mayor welcomed the attendants as well.

Actors and students from local schools recreated moments of the Assembly – the opening, the deliberations and finally the adoption of the Turnovo Constitution. They re - enacted on stage the figures of prominent members of the Assembly like Prince Dondukov – Korsakov, Antim I, Petko Karavelov and many others.

Later on, the participants went to visit the church of St. Nicholas, where in 1879 the assembly had hold preliminary sittings. The Metropolitan bishop of Turnovo, Grigorii delivered a thanksgiving service in memory of Metropolitan Antim I, the cleric who became the first Bulgarian speaker of parliament.

The Chairman of the National Assembly paid floral tribute at the “Mother Bulgaria” monument on behalf of the National Assembly, along with other government institutions and public organizations.

The solemn observance went on with the opening, on February 9, 2009 of a Scientific Conference titled “Constituent Assembly and Bulgarian Constitutions”. The discussion was divided in two panels, the first being on the subject of “The Constituent Assembly of 1879 – laying the grounds and future of Bulgarian parliamentary life", the second dedicated to the: “The Bulgarian constitutional tradition in the light of the European experience”. Many Bulgarian historians attended the conference and delivered reports. The latter was organized by the National Assembly, by the Sofia “Kliment Ohridsky” and Turnovo “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” Universities.