The National Assembly Secretary General Petya Gladilova has met with the delegation of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Election’s Department, led by its head Beata Martin-Rozumilovich. The meeting was also attended by the senior adviser on election matters Tatyana Bogusevich and Alexey Gromov, election expert, both working in the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Petya Gladilova has acquainted the guests with the work of the Administration of the National Assembly and has provided information on the interim functions and urgent tasks she is to perform until the election of the next speaker of parliament.

She has presented the participants on the side of Bulgaria’s parliament – Iva Rupcheva, Head of the Legislative Advisors Department and Prolet Mihaylova, Head of the Plenary Sittings Department. Petya Gladilova underscored both department heads have participated in the drawing of the current Election code and they briefed the guests on the related topics.

Beata Martin-Rozumilovich underscored her department sends similar delegations before every election in the member countries to check out the pre- election situation and whether changes had occurred in comparison with the previous ones. After the visit the ODIHR Election’s Department experts draw up a report, including recommendations about additional measures when necessary. She said further, she and her colleagues had closely cooperated with representatives of the Bulgarian authorities in the elaboration's process of the new Election code and many of their opinions had been taken into account.

The experts of the National Assembly informed the guests about the basic principles and new moments laid down in the new Election code. They also pointed out that the new code was drawn by the Ad hoc Committee set for the purpose in a very short period of time – just 3 months. The head of the parliamentary Legal Advisors Department added that before setting up the committee, the National Assembly has carried out a round table with the participation of representatives of civil organizations and movements interested in the election process.  She also mentioned the establishment of Public Council to the committee which had observed directly its work.

The OSCE representatives were informed that the committee had received more than 150 proposals from civil organizations, movements and individual citizens involved directly in the election process.

The participants at the meeting voiced hope that the new Election code would provide good grounds for holding truly democratic elections.