Three bills on religious faith were adopted at first reading in Parliament last Thursday. Borislav Tsekov, Kiril Milchev and Rupen Krikorian of the ruling National Movement Simeon II (NMSII) introduced two of them. Lyutvi Mestan and Ahmed Yusein of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms proposed a bill on religious rights and religious association.
The three bills regulate the social, healthcare and educational activities of religious faiths and they cannot be re-registered under the new law. They suggest a need of court registration without any intervention of the state in their autonomy.
MPs of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) said law could not resolve the church controversies during the debate in Parliament. “Let us make it possible for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to determine its legitimate leadership,” said Svetoslav Luchnikov, MP from UDF.
During the debate, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg appealed for consideration of the freedom of religious convictions, equality of religious institutions and non-interference of the state in autonomîus religious institutions.
Ginyo Ganev of the Coalition for Bulgaria said that all three bills protect the principle of separation of the state from religious faiths, and the need for court registration of religious faiths.
The first bill, suggesting that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church be recognised as a legal entity by virtue of this law, without creating privileges or advantages for it, was adopted with 153 for, 39 against and three abstentions. According to Tsekov’s bill, a separate law should regulate the restitution of church property nationalised by the state. Parents will have the right to provide religious education to their children in accordance with their own conviction.
The bill proposed by Mestan and Yusein, stipulating that no one could be forced to bear or use arms and perform military service if this ran contrary to their religious convictions, was adopted by 140 votes to 2, and 44 abstentions.
The bills suggest that the court should reject registration to a religious organisation that sets political aims or aims directed against national and public security, public order, health, morality, rights and freedoms of other citizens.
The bill proposed by Milchev and Krikorian was adopted by 168 votes to 6, and 12 abstentions. It dictates that Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a traditional religion in Bulgaria and has a historic role in the Bulgarian State.
The three bills regulate the social, healthcare and educational activities of religious faiths and they cannot be re-registered under the new law. They suggest a need of court registration without any intervention of the state in their autonomy.
MPs of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) said law could not resolve the church controversies during the debate in Parliament. “Let us make it possible for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to determine its legitimate leadership,” said Svetoslav Luchnikov, MP from UDF.
During the debate, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg appealed for consideration of the freedom of religious convictions, equality of religious institutions and non-interference of the state in autonomîus religious institutions.
Ginyo Ganev of the Coalition for Bulgaria said that all three bills protect the principle of separation of the state from religious faiths, and the need for court registration of religious faiths.
The first bill, suggesting that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church be recognised as a legal entity by virtue of this law, without creating privileges or advantages for it, was adopted with 153 for, 39 against and three abstentions. According to Tsekov’s bill, a separate law should regulate the restitution of church property nationalised by the state. Parents will have the right to provide religious education to their children in accordance with their own conviction.
The bill proposed by Mestan and Yusein, stipulating that no one could be forced to bear or use arms and perform military service if this ran contrary to their religious convictions, was adopted by 140 votes to 2, and 44 abstentions.
The bills suggest that the court should reject registration to a religious organisation that sets political aims or aims directed against national and public security, public order, health, morality, rights and freedoms of other citizens.
The bill proposed by Milchev and Krikorian was adopted by 168 votes to 6, and 12 abstentions. It dictates that Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a traditional religion in Bulgaria and has a historic role in the Bulgarian State.
