One of the most popular definitions of direct democracy is
associated with the direct participation of people in solving
issues of government. The forms of citizen participation are
different for different countries and within countries. Among the
best known practices are referendums and plebiscites, as well as
classic famous form of ancient Athens - the general assembly of
citizens.
Bulgaria has relatively little experience in conducting
national referendums. There is a gap in recognition of their
number. Different scientists talking about 5 or 6 held national
referendum. Predominant number is five, as most political
scientists, for unknown reasons did not include a referendum on
setting up a Bulgarian Exarchate.
The concept of a referendum is usually interpreted as a
direct democracy. Prof. St.. Stoychev (2002) defined the referendum
as "the primary and greatest public importance institution of
direct democracy."
Referendums are actually a form of democracy By referendum,
as is well known, every citizen can give their vote for the
resolution of questions of the highest competence - issues that are
related to the competence of the National Assembly and municipal
councils. This article is an attempt to briefly describe some of
the reasons for the existing political speculation concerning the
conduct of referendums.
Historical and legal retrospection actually suggests that
the ideas of democracy and referendums go "hand in hand" but
political relation to citizen initiatives for referendums is
changing more and more restrictive direction.
Despite the legal equality of direct and representative
democracy in the present, formal and informal political constraints
for referendums are not reduced. The fear of the direct
participation of people in governance is the basis of political and
authoritative neglecting of the referendums. Representative
democracy increasingly longer reveals manifestations of
anti-democratic nature, sparking relevant processes against
yourself and apologizing rerendums by citizens.
Notes
The article is the result of research project No.
2014/15/B/HS5/01866 funded by the Polish National Science
Centre