“One of the main priorities in the work of the National Assembly during the new plenary session should be the reform of the special services and the introduction of a mechanism for effective management by the executive power in accordance with Article 105 of the Constitution, including by changing the procedure for appointing their heads, which is to be done by a decision of the Parliament on the proposal of the Prime Minister.” This is what the co-chairman of “Democratic Bulgaria” Atanas Atanasov wrote on his Facebook profile.
According to him, some of the challenges faced by the Bulgarian special services are the lack of effective control and accountability, the lack of reliable sources of information, the misuse of information, rivalry and conflicts between different services, insufficient funding and equipment, low public trust, and the inability to adapt to the dynamic international environment.
He also presented the steps for the reform to take place:
“1. Strategic planning and assessment – preparation of a detailed analysis of the current structure, activity and efficiency in work, preparation of a strategic plan for reforms, which will determine the goals, priorities and ways to achieve them.
2. Legislative reform – updating the legislation regulating the activity of special services and bringing it into line with the Constitution, democratic values and the rights of citizens.
3. Personnel reforms and professional training, development of professional capacity, psychological resilience and motivation of employees, promotion of professionalism and integrity.
4. Introduction of technological innovations, integration of modern technologies and improvement of operational-technical capabilities, with strict guarantees for the observance of the rights of citizens.
5. Exercising effective control by a civilian independent supervisory body to monitor the lawful operation of the services and prevent abuse of power.
6. Strengthening cooperation, coordination and exchange of information with other state bodies and with international partners.
7. Creation of mechanisms for appealing the acts of special services to protect the rights of citizens.
8. Communication and information to the public, increasing transparency in the activities of the services, active involvement of the public in the dialogue to balance the protection of security and civil liberties.”
“Given the fact that the special services are an instrument of the executive power, the purpose of the proposed changes is to increase the capacity of the government in making management decisions in the dynamic security environment,” Atanasov added in his post.
An attempt to reform the services began last year. It would take away the president’s powers in them. Then Atanasov also proposed a law for a unified intelligence service. Delyan Peevski supported him, but Borisov took a step back. In protest, Atanasov resigned as chairman of the parliamentary committee on services. The reform was postponed until after the elections. It is expected to start again in this parliamentary session.
2024-01-05 10:02:00
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