Raya Nazaryan elected Chair of Bulgaria’s National Assembly

GERB-UDF MP Raya Nazaryan was elected National Assembly Chair on Thursday. She received 131 votes in favor, 66 MPs voted against, and 39 abstained. Nazaryan was backed by her parliamentary group, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and TISP, the Bulgarian News Agency reports.

Nazaryan’s election became possible after There Is Such a People (TISP) deputy leader Toshko Yordanov said the party would support all nominations.

Four MPs were nominated for head of Parliament. Here is how the legislature voted on the other three:

Silvi Kirilov of TISP: 17 votes in favor, 108 against, and 108 abstentions.
Petar Petrov of Vazrazhdane: 53 votes in favor, 111 against, and 71 abstentions.
Yuliana Mateeva of Velichie (Grandeur): 13 votes in favor, 105 against, and 105 abstentions.

Under the Constitution, electing a chairperson of the National Assembly requires a simple majority of the MPs present. GERB-UDF have 68 seats, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms 47, Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria 39, Vazrazhdane 38, BSP for Bulgaria 19, TISP 16, and Velichie 13.

Born in Varna on September 16, 1985, Nazaryan has practiced law for more than 12 years, of which ten specializing in the law of obligations, real law, insurance law, family law and succession law. She has amassed ample experience in commercial, civil and administrative proceedings before Bulgarian courts.

A specialist in mediation and out-of-court settlement of legal disputes. Member of the Sofia Bar Association. Associate and co-founder of a law firm.

On June 9, Nazaryan was elected MP for a third term. She topped the GERB-UDF candidates list in Sofia’s Multimember Constituency No. 24. She entered politics in 2022.

She is single, with one child.