Bulgarian MPs overturn veto on amendments to Defence Act
Bulgaria’s National Assembly voted on November 19 to overturn President Roumen Radev’s veto on amendments to the country’s Defence and Armed Forces Act that raise the retirement age of both enlisted personnel and officers.
There were 128 votes in favour of overriding the veto, 50 opposed, and 16 abstentions.
One of the key provisions of the bill, which Radev vetoed, is raising the mandatory retirement age of armed forces members, dependent on their rank – from age 51 for privates and seamen to age 67 for full generals and admirals.
As a consequence, Admiral Emil Eftimov will be able to serve out his four-year term as chief of defence, the highest-ranked military officer in the Bulgarian armed forces, instead of retiring upon reaching age 65 next year.
Radev objected to raising the mandatory retirement age, arguing that this would not solve the staffing issues of the Bulgarian armed forces, while demotivating lower-ranked officers who meet the criteria for advancement, but cannot do so until higher-ranked officers retire.
Bulgaria’s constitution grants the head of state a limited power of veto, through enabling the President to return legislation to the National Assembly for further discussion.
The National Assembly may overturn the President’s veto through a simple majority vote or accept the veto and review the vetoed clauses. Since taking office in January 2017, Radev made liberal use of the power and this was his 45th vetoed bill.
Last week, he also vetoed amendments to the country’s law regulating operations in the oil and oil products industry, his 46th veto, which Parliament swiftly overturned a day later.
The National Assembly has overturned Radev’s veto on all but eight occasions – seven times the veto was accepted by MPs and, in the other case, the government coalition at the time failed to muster the support needed to overturn it.
(Photo: parliament.bg)
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