CTP Rejects Election Law Amendment Proposal in Committee

In a written statement, the CTP said it would continue to advocate the need for democratic electoral reform, but added that it would not become part of internal party disputes or last-minute legislative changes during an election period.

The statement said the abolition of the mixed-voting system would be one of the key elements of the modern electoral law and parliamentary rules reforms the CTP plans to introduce in the new term, stressing that the issue should be addressed comprehensively.

The CTP said the electoral system should be changed so that voters make their choices based on political programmes, policies and parties’ claims to govern, rather than choosing between individual candidates through mixed voting.

However, it argued that such a significant reform should not be introduced shortly before an election based on the daily needs of any political party or MP, internal party balances or short-term political calculations.

Describing the electoral system as the common foundation of the democratic order, the CTP said changes should be addressed comprehensively through a broad-based Ad Hoc Committee of the Parliament, taking into account the views of political parties, lawyers, academics, professional organisations, civil society and different sections of society.

“Fundamental Changes to the Electoral System Should Not Be Considered Shortly Before Elections”

The CTP recalled that the Local Government Elections are scheduled to be held on December 6, 2026, and that the mixed-voting system is also proposed to be abolished for municipal councils.

It said it was inappropriate to consider changes to the fundamental rules of the electoral system shortly before elections and under pressure from the political agenda.

The CTP expressed concern that the initiative was driven less by efforts to ensure that voters’ will is more accurately reflected at the ballot box and more by disputes and political calculations within and between the government parties being brought into the parliamentary agenda.

“Comprehensive Reform Will Begin After the First General Election”

The statement said six of the eight political parties represented at the committee had expressed the view that the timing was inappropriate, arguing that the initiative lacked broad political and social consensus.

The CTP recalled that the proposal had been submitted by an MP on May 9, 2023, and returned to the committee after it was not put to a vote in the Parliament on June 30, 2025.

It said the proposal had now passed the committee by a majority vote with the support of UBP MPs.

The CTP announced that if it receives a mandate from the public in the first general election, it will launch comprehensive reforms to the Election and Referendum Law with the participation of all relevant stakeholders.

The statement said the new electoral system would be based on competition between political programmes and policies, while maintaining a balance between fair representation and stability in governance.