At the first reading in the commission they adopted a restriction of the persons using security by NSO
The Parliamentary Committee for Control over the Services adopted at first reading both draft amendments to the Law on NGOs, BTA reported.
The projects are of “There is such a people” / ITN / and “Stand up. BG! We are coming” / IBGNI / and they envisage limiting the circle of persons who use security from the service and specialized transportation. In connection with the prepared changes at the meeting, the Chairman of the State Intelligence Agency Antoan Gechev and the Head of the NGO Gen. Emil Tonev.
The IBGNI project envisages that the specialized transport of the NSO will not be used by the mayor of Sofia, the members of the Constitutional Court and the deputy chairmen of the National Assembly. Also the Prosecutor General should not be guarded by NGOs, except in cases of “proven necessity”. The security and transport of the NSO are also taken away from the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the National Assembly after their dismissal.
The ITN project envisages that the members of the Constitutional Court, the chairmen of the SAC, the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Prosecutor General will not have specialized transport, but that they will be provided with security if they are endangered. Also, for former members of the Council of Ministers, MPs, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister and the President, there should be no security and transport from the NSO, unless there is a threat against them. According to Parliament Speaker Iva Miteva, who introduced the bill, lifelong specialized transport by NSOs for former presidents should be abolished. It is also proposed to withdraw specialized transport for the presidential administration. Another proposal is for the family members of the Prime Minister, the President and the Speaker of the National Assembly not to enjoy the protection of the NSO.
In their opinion on the bills, the NSO proposes to introduce an opportunity for His Holiness His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch to be guarded by the service. Nikolay Hadjigenov from IBGNI said that if necessary The Bulgarian church can afford to hire security. However, comments were heard in the hall that the Patriarch was a symbol of religion.
In connection with the work of NSO gen. Tonev said he could not agree with remarks that the employees of the service were “baggers” and “dog guides”. He added that it may have been so some time ago, but it is not now.
Atanas Atanasov from “Democratic Bulgaria” said on the occasion of both bills that something unforeseen could happen once in 20-30 years and “then we will ask ourselves questions” why the circle of people guarded by NGOs was limited. And that terrorist threats cannot be taken lightly.
Desislava Atanasova from GERB said she would abstain. She noted that the changes would lead to a lower budget and a reduction in the capacity of the service, which would also raise issues of downsizing her staff. Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is guarded by NGOs due to “threat”.
In connection with the hearing of the chairman of DAR, which was closed to the media, Nikolay Hadjigenov said that “some of the most serious signals against the most endangered people, such as former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, if information were not classified, would be a reason for an extremely funny joke “. According to Iva Miteva, it is not serious to place bodyguards on the “basis of such signals”.
Antoan Gechev, chairman of DAR, told the media that he had presented to the commission information about signals of threat against Bulgarian citizens in connection with the Law on NGOs and the interaction of intelligence on them with the security service. He added that DAR works well in some respects, and in others there is much to be desired
The head of the NSO, for his part, did not want to comment to journalists on the debates in the commission. When asked about the comments of the Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev in connection with the NGO Gen. Tonev commented succinctly that “everyone is responsible for their words.”
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