Legislative Provision for the Ombudsman Institution on Local Level
On July 18, 2003, the Bulgarian National Assembly adopted the Law on Amending and Supplementing of the Law on Local Self-Government and Local Administration.
The legislative provision for the establishment of the ombudsman type institutions on local level is among the adopted amendments. The new texts of the law envisage the possibility for the municipal councils to elect a civic mediator with a qualified majority and to adopt Rules on its organization and activities. The civic mediator will promote and protect the civil rights and the lawful interests of citizens before the local authorities.
The adoption of these amendments sets the legal framework for the strengthening of the already active civic mediators, and also creates prerequisites for the future establishment of similar institutions.
The year-long efforts of the Center for the Study of Democracy in cooperation with other non-governmental organizations and representatives of state institutions, and local authorities, incl. the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria contributed to a greatest extent to the achievementof this positive result.
