Anniversary of the Constitution Adoption

On July 12 1991 the Seventh Grand National Assembly voted the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria. The Constitution states that Bulgaria is a republic with parliamentary government and it is a democratic and social state with rule of law. It enshrines the principles of separation of powers, the rights and freedoms of citizens, and the supremacy of the Constitution. The National Assembly elected for a four-year term and consisting of 240 Members of Parliament exercises the legislative power and parliamentary oversight. Unlike the preceding fundamental laws, the July 1991 Constitution states that the National Assembly is a standing body. The first Bulgarian Constitution is the Tarnovo one, adopted by Bulgaria’s Constituent Assembly on April 16 1879. The Assembly adopted the principle of separation of powers into executive, legislative and judiciary. The Constitution protected civil freedoms, the inviolability of ownership, the freedom of individuals, the equality before law, the right to association, the abolition of class-related rights and slavery, etc. The Tarnovo Constitution proclaimed the Principality of Bulgaria for a constitution monarchy with parliamentary government and provided for strict separation of powers. The Tarnovo Constitution remains in force until 1947, when is accepted the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, or also known as the Dimitrov’s Constitution, later replaced in 1971 by the so-called Zhivkovska Constitution. In the beginning of the democratic processes started after November 1989 and the decisions of the National Round Table – April 1990, the National Assembly adopted amendments in the 1971 Constitution which was in force until the adoption of the currently active Constitution.