General Information on Bulgaria

General Information on Bulgaria

BASIC FACTS

  • Population: 7.9 million (UN, 2003)
  • Capital: Sofia
  • Major cities: Burgas, Khaskovo, Lovech, Mikhaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Razgrad and Varna
  • Administrative districts: 28 (oblasti) Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol
  • Languages: Bulgarian (official), Turkish (main minority)
    Ethnicities: Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian, Greek, Russian) (CIA 1998)
  • Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (CIA 1998)
  • Average annual income: US $1,650 (World Bank, 2001)
  • Existence of a state of emergency: not available
  • Legal system: civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; influence of Soviet legal system, accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
  • Political system: Parliamentary democracy
  • Parliamentary type: Unicameral
  • Number of parliamentary seats: 240
  • Procedure for passing new laws:
    (Wishlist item. This might include main presidential powers, majority needed to pass bills, majority needed to amend constitution, quorum needed, no. of readings of bills required in parliament before passage, capacity of upper chamber (if any) to amend or veto bills, existence of judicial review).
  • Name of Parties in government: National Movement Simeon II (NMS2); United Democratic Forces (UDF); Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP); Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF)
  • Name of President: Georgi Purvanov (since 22 January 2002)
  • Name of Prime Minister: Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (since 24 July 2001)
  • Next elections due: June 2005 (2006 for Prime Minister)
  • Main Political Parties: NMS2, UDF, BSP, MRF, United Democratic Forces (UtdDF) alliance, People’s Union (member of the UtdDF)
  • Main courts: Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court; Supreme Judicial Council
  • Main prisons: Bobov Dol, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Varna, and Vratsa
  • Number of Prisons: 12
  • Prison population: 7,264 (1991)
  • Volume of crime per 100,000 inhabitants: 1,852.95 (Interpol 2002)
  • Number of prosecutors: 221,912 (UN 1997)
  • Number of judges: 1,062 (UN 1997)
  • Number of lawyers: not available
  • Number of police: not available
  • Size of army: 107,000 total active-duty personnel, over 80 percent of which conscripts (1991 ) 1,854,049 (CIA 2003 est.)
  • Main Newspapers: Dnevnik; Monitor; (online: Standart; The Sofia Echo; Novinite; Mediapool; Focus)

OVERVIEW

(US Department of State)
Under the Constitution, the judiciary is granted independent and coequal status with the legislative and executive branches; however, the judiciary continued to struggle with problems including a lack of transparent and neutral standards for assigning cases; poor coordination between prosecutors, investigators, and courts; corruption; low salaries; understaffing; antiquated procedures; and a heavy backlog of cases. The European Union Accession Report on Judicial Independence that was issued during the year stated that because the Constitution provides for independence of the "judicial power," which includes judges, public prosecutors, and investigating magistrates, the separation of these powers is blurred and the independence of judges is compromised. The report also found that the Ministry of Justice continued to exercise extensive administrative powers, and that the Government influences the appointment and promotion of judges and prosecutors, and also influences the outcome of cases. Partly as a legacy of communism and partly because of the court system's structural and personnel problems, many citizens have little confidence in the judicial system. Long delays in trials were common. Human rights groups complained that local prosecutors and magistrates sometimes failed to pursue vigorously crimes committed against minorities. Many observers believe that reforms are essential to establish a fair and impartial, as well as efficient, judicial system. In 2000 the Government began an ambitious training program to upgrade the expertise of the judiciary with the help of international donor organizations, which produced limited results, according to observers.

International Agreements and Memberships: Member of United Nations and most of its specialized agencies. Also member of International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

LINKS

Laws and Guidelines
Constitution
Code of Civil Procedure
Administrative Violations and Sanctions Act
Legislation
Gonzaga Law resources: Bulgaria
Bulgarian Institute for Legal Development (BILD)
UNHCR Legal Documents: Bulgaria
Law Library of Congress: Bulgaria page
Government
Government
Prime Minister
President
Parliament
Constitutional Court
General Information
Political Resources: Bulgaria
EurActiv: Bulgaria
BBC News Country profile: Bulgaria
Economist Country Briefings: Bulgaria
UNHCR Country of Origin and Legal Information: Bulgaria Country Reports
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada: Bulgaria
Yahoo: Bulgaria - Government directory