CONSTITUTION

Chapter One: Fundamental Principles

Chapter Two: Fundamental Rights and Obligations of Citizens

Chapter Three: National Assembly

Chapter Four: President of the Republic

Chapter Five: Council of Ministers

Chapter Six: Judicial Power

Chapter Seven: Local Self-Government and Local Administration

Chapter Eight: Constitutional Court

Chapter Nine: Amendments to the Constitution. Adoption of a New Constitution

Chapter Ten: Coat of Arms, Seal, Flag, Anthem, Capital

Transitional and Concluding Provisions

Chapter Three

National Assembly

Article 62. The National Assembly shall be vested with the legislative authority and shall exercise parliamentary control.

Article 63. The National Assembly shall consist of 240 members.

Article 64.

(1) The National Assembly shall be elected for a term of four years.
(2) In case of war, armed hostilities or another state of emergency occurring during or after the expiry of the National Assembly's term, its mandate shall be extended until the expire of the circumstances.
(3) Elections for a new National Assembly shall be held within two months from the expiry of the mandate of the preceding one.

Article 65.

(1) Eligible for election to the National Assembly shall be any Bulgarian citizen who does not hold another citizenship, is above the age of 21, is not under a judicial interdiction, and is not serving a prison sentence.
(2) A candidate for a National Assembly seat holding a state post shall resign upon the registration of his candidacy.

Article 66. The legitimacy of an election may be contested before the Constitutional Court by a procedure established by a law.

Article 67.

(1) Members of the National Assembly shall represent not only their constituencies but the entire nation. No Member shall be held to a mandatory mandate.
(2) Members of the National Assembly shall act on the basis of the Constitution and the laws and in accordance with their conscience and convictions.

Article 68.

(1) A Member of the National Assembly shall not occupy another state office. nor shall engage in any other activity which the law defines as incompatible with the status of a Member of the National Assembly.
(2) A Member of the National Assembly elected as a minister shall cease to serve as a Member during his term of office as a minister. During that period, he shall be substituted in the National Assembly in a manner established by a law.

Article 69. Members of the National Assembly shall not be held criminally liable for their opinions or votes in the National Assembly.

Article 70. A Member of the National Assembly shall be immune from detention or criminal prosecution except for the perpetration of a grave crime, when a warrant from the National Assembly or, in between its session, from the Chairman of the National Assembly, shall be required. No warrant shall be required when a Member is detained in the course of committing a grave crime; the National Assembly or, in between its session, the Chairman of the National Assembly, shall be notified forthwith.

Article 71. The National Assembly shall establish the emoluments of its Members.

Article 72.

(1) A Member's prerogatives shall expire before the expiry of his term of office upon any of the following occurrences: 1. resignation presented before the National Assembly; 2. enforcement of a prison sentence for an intentional crime, or of an unsuspendied prison sentence; 3. establishment of ineligibility or incompatibility; 4. death.
(2) Instances 1 and 2 shall require a resolution of the National Assembly; instance 3 shall require a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

Article 73. The National Assembly shall be organized and shall act in accordance with the Constitution and its own internal rules.

Article 74. The National Assembly shall be a permanently acting body. It shall be free to determine its recesses.

Article 75. A newly elected National Assembly shall be convened for a first session by the President of the Republic within a month following its election. Should the President fail to do so, it shall be convened by one-fifth of the Members of the National Assembly.

Article 76.

(1) The first session of the National Assembly shall be opened by the senior present Member.
(2) At the first session the Members shall swear the following oath: "I swear in the name of the Republic of Bulgaria to observe the Constitution and the laws of the country and in all my actions to be guided by the interests of the people. I am sworn."
(3) The National Assembly shall elect at the same session its Chairman and Vice Chairmen.

Article 77.

(1) The Chairman of the National Assembly shall: 1. represent the National Assembly; 2. propose the agenda for each session; 3. open, chair and close the sessions of the National Assembly and maintain orderly proceedings; 4. attest by his signature the contents of the acts passed by the National Assembly; promulgate all resolutions, declarations and addresses passed by the National Assembly; 6. organize the National Assembly's international contacts.
(2) The Vice Chairmen of the National Assembly shall assist the Chairman and carry out any activities devolved by him.

Article 78. The National Assembly shall be convened for its sessions by its Chairman: 1. on his own initiative; 2. at the request of one-fifth of its members; 3. at the request of the President; 4. at the request of the Council of Ministers.

Article 79.

(1) The National Assembly shall elect permanent and ad hoc committees from among its Members.
(2) The permanent committees shall aid the work of the National Assembly and shall exercise parliamentary control on its behalf.
(3) Ad hoc committees shall be elected to conduct inquiries and investigations.

Article 80. Any official or citizen summoned by a parliamentary commission shall be obligated to testify and present any required documents.

Article 81.

(1) The National Assembly shall be free to hold a session and pass resolutions when more than half of its Members are present.
(2) The National Assembly shall pass laws and other acts by a majority of more than one-half of the present Members, except when a qualified majority is required by the Constitution.
(3) Voting shall be personal and open, except when the Constitution requires or the National Assembly resolves on a secret ballot.

Article 82. Sessions of the National Assembly shall be public. The National Assembly may by exception resolve to hold some sessions behind closed doors.

Article 83.

(1) Ministers shall be free to attend the sessions of the National Assembly and the parliamentary committees. They shall be given priority in addressing the Members.
(2) The National Assembly and the parliamentary committees shall be free to order ministers to attend their sessions and respond to questions.

Article 84. The National Assembly shall: 1. pass, amend, and rescind the laws; 2. pass the state budget bill and the budget report; 3. establish the taxes and their size; 4. schedule the elections for a President of the Republic; 5. resolve on the holding of a national referendum; 6. elect and dismiss the Prime Minister and, on his motion, the members of the Council of Ministers; effect changes in the government on a motion from the Prime Minister; 7. create, transform and close down ministries on a motion from the Prime Minister; 8. elect and dismiss the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank and the heads of other institutions established by a law; 9. approve state-loan agreements; 10. resolve on the declaration of war and conclusion of peace; 11. approve any deployment and use of Bulgarian armed forces outside the country's borders, and the deployment of foreign troops on the territory of the country or their crossing of that territory., 12. on a motion from the President or the Council of Ministers, introduce martial law or a state of emergency on all or part of the country's territory; 13. grant amnesty; 14. institute orders and medals; 15. establish the official holidays.

Article 85.

(1) The National Assembly shall ratify or denounce by a law all international instruments which: 1. are of a political or military nature; 2. concern the Republic of Bulgaria's participation in international organizations; 3. envisage corrections to the borders of the Republic of Bulgaria; 4. contain obligations for the treasury; 5. envisage the state's participation in international arbitration or legal proceedings; 6. concern fundamental human rights; 7. affect the action of the law or require new legislation in order to be enforced; 8. expressly require ratification.
(2) Treaties ratified by the National Assembly may be amended or denounced only by their built-in procedure or in accordance with the universally acknowledged norms of international law.
(3) The conclusion of an international treaty requiring an amendment to the Constitution shall be preceded by the passage of such an amendment.

Article 86.

(1) The National Assembly shall pass laws, resolutions, declarations and addresses.
(2) The laws and resolutions passed by the National Assembly shall be binding on all state bodies, all organizations and all citizens.

Article 87.

(1) Any Member of the National Assembly or the Council of Ministers shall have the right to introduce a bill.
(2) The State Budget Bill shall be drawn up and presented by the Council of Ministers.

Article 88.

(1) Bills shall be read and voted upon twice, during different sessions. By way of exception, the National Assembly may resolve to hold both ballots during a single session.
(2) All other acts of the National Assembly shall require a single ballot. Each passed act shall be promulgated in Durzhaven Vestnik (The State Gazette) within l5 days from its passage.

Article 89.

(1) A motion of no confidence in the Council of Ministers shall require a seconding by one-fifth or more of the Members of the National Assembly. To be passed, the motion shall require a majority of more than half of the votes of all National Assembly Members. (2) Should the National Assembly vote no confidence in the Prime Minister or the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister shall hand in his government's resignation.
(3) Should the National Assembly reject a vote of no confidence in the Council of Ministers, the next motion for a vote of no confidence on the same grounds shall not be made before the expiry of six months.

Article 90.

(1) Members of the National Assembly shall have the right to address questions and interpolations to the Council of Ministers and to individual ministers, who shall be obligated to respond.
(2) A motion by one-fifth of the Members of the National Assembly shall be required to turn an interpolation into a debate on which a resolution shall be passed.

Article 91.

(1) The National Assembly shall establish an Accountancy Chamber to control the implementation of the budget.
(2) The organization, authority and procedures by which the Accountancy Chamber shall act shall be established by a law.