Translation
from Bulgarian by VULEVA TRANSLATIONS, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria 53, R. Daskalov
str. Phone: (032) 27 03 49 26 74 57
BY-LAWS
of OMO "ILINDEN" PIRIN
(United Macedonian Organization "ILINDEN")
Party for Economic Development and Integration of the population
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1.
The party name is OMO
"ILINDEN" - Party for Economic
Development and Integration of the population ("OMO-llinden" - PIRIN).
Article 2.
"OMO-Ilinden" - PIRIN is a juridical person with its registered office in the town of Blagoevgrad.
II. PROGRAMME AIMS AND PURPOSES
Article 3. The purposes of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN are:
1. To work for the integration of the Republic of Bulgaria into the international agreements on human rights.
2. To work for the admission of R. Bulgaria to its full membership of the European Union.
3. To encourage the tolerance and respect to the ethnic and religious differences and keeping the human rights in the Bulgarian society.
4. To work for the economic prosperity and development of the political democracy in the Republic of Bulgaria.
5. To work for the good-neighbour relations on the Balkans and Europe.
6. To carry out political activity in the name of spiritual integration and keeping the national traditions, customs and folklore of the population from the Pirin Macedonia and refugees from the Aegean Macedonia.
7. To protect the right and liberties and to stand up for an economic policy guaranteeing the prosperity of the population from the Pirin Macedonia and refugees from the Aegean Macedonia.
8. To work for the equalization of the living standard of the Pirin Macedonia with that of the other part of R. Bulgaria.
Article 4, In order to achieve these purposes "OMO-Ilinden" - PIRIN shaft act on the grounds of the Constitution and taws of R. Bulgaria, International Charter of Human Rights and the other international documents, under which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party.
Article 5. "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall participate in elections for local and central authorities in compliance with the operative legislation in the Republic of Bulgaria in order to achieve its purposes.
Article 6. "OMO-Ilinden" - PIRIN shall implement all forms of political activity permissible by the laws of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Article 7. The members of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall be loyal citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria and against any form of violation and separatism.
III. MEMBERSHIP
Article 8. A member of "OMO-Ilinden" - PIRIN can be every citizen of the Republic of Bulgaria, who is not a member of another political party on the territory of R. Bulgaria and outside it, accepts its By-laws and Programme and express willingness to implementation of the aims and purpose of the Party.
Article 9. A member shall be admitted to membership by the General meeting of the local section, on the territory of which the applicant is
residing, on the grounds of his application.
Article 10. The applicant admission shall require a simple majority of the persons attending the meeting and at least one sponsor of the local section members.
Article 11. Should a local section is absent in the village or town, the application under Art. 8 shall be filed with the nearest section.
Article 12. No persons having criminal records or amoral behavior shall be admitted to membership.
Article 13. (1) A member of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall be free to leave the Party by his own will by forwarding a written application to the local section of his membership.
Programme
and candidates.
(2) The termination of membership under para 1 above shall be considered as from the date of sending the written application.
Article 14. (1) A member of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN can be dismissed upon any of the following circumstances:
p. 1. Breach of the By-laws
p.2. Non-observance of the Programme
p.3. In the event of amoral arid disloyal behaviour lowering the Party's prestige and authority.
p. 4. Breach of the prohibitions under Art. 8 and Art. 12.
p. 5, Non-payment of membership fees for more than three months with no valid reasons.
(2) The resolution shall be adopted by a meeting of the local section with simple majority of the registered members of that section, in the presence of the member and upon his hearing, except for the cases in para 3.
(3) Should the member, proposed for dismissal, is absent with no valid reason following the written notice, than the local section meeting shall be free to adopt a resolution for dismissal in his absence.
(4) The record for dismissal shall be sent to the Municipal council and to
the Party Executive Board.
Article 15.
(1) The dismissed member shall be free, within two months from his/her dismissal, to take written exception to the resolution of the General meeting through the Central Control and Auditing Committee (CCAC).
(2) Within one month as from the date of referring the matter to it, the Committee shall pass its judgment, which shall be filed with the Central Board and the person concerned shall be notified in writing.
(3) The dismissed member shall, within one month, be free to appeal against the judgment of CCAC before the Central Board.
(4) At its first meeting as from the date of referring the matter to it, the Central Board shall pass a final resolution.
(5) Central Board shall be free to restore a membership in "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN, except for Art. 8 and Art. 12 of its By-laws.
Article 16. (1) The members of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN from all the party's structures can be dismissed by the Central Board upon motions of CCAC or a written motion of at least one-fifth of the registered members of the Central Board.
(2) Central Board shall adopt a resolution with at least tour-fifths of its registered members.
IV. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE MEMBERS
Article 17. Members of "OMO-Ilinden" - PIRIN shall have the following rights:
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p. 1. To be protected by the Party and supported in their activity connected with its aims and purposes;
p. 2. To be protected by the Party whenever they are persecuted, discredited and slandered because of their convictions and in actions, which are not contrary to the Frame Convention for Protection of National Minorities, the aims and principles of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN.
p. 3. To elect and to be elected in the management bodies;
p. 4. To leave the Party by their own will;
p. 5. To make use of the social, material and other base and the acquisitions achieved by the Party;
Article 18. Members of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall:
p. 1. Work actively for the realization of the Party's aims and purposes.
p. 2. Increase and stand up for the Party's authority and prestige.
p. 3. Observe the By-laws and resolutions of the Party's Central Board of other management bodies.
p. 4. Receive information for the Party's activity.
p. 5. Keep their membership cards (books).
p. 6. Pay in their membership tee every month.
p. 7. Whip up support during the election campaigns for the Party's
V. STRUCTURE
Article 19. The structure of "OMO-Ilinden" - PIRIN are the local sections, municipal conferences, municipal councils, municipal control and auditing committies, regional councils, National Conference, Central Board, Executive Board, Central Control and Auditing Committee.
Article 20. (1) Main units of "OMO-Ilinden" - PIRIN shall be the sections established by places of residence in hamlets, villages, quarters and
towns.
(2) A section formation shall require at least five members and shall be effected in the presence of the Municipal Council Chairman. Record of the formation shall be forwarded to the Municipal Council and Executive Board.
(3) A section shall be considered as regularly founded only upon its approval by the Executive Board with a written resolution. Such approval shall serve to legitimate the local section.
Article 21. (1) A section meeting shall be convened by its Chairman and held under his chairmanship.
(2) A meeting shall be legitimate if attended by more than one-half of the section members.
Article 22. A section meeting shall:
p. 1. Elect by simple majority a chairman, deputy chairman and secretary-treasurer for a period of two years.
p. 2. Elect by simple majority delegates for the Party's forums.
p. 3. Present motions to the bodies, established by these By-laws, concerning candidates for any elections.
Article 23.
(1) Management bodies of a section shall be the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Secretary-treasurer.
(2) The section Chairman shall be by rights a member of the Municipal council.
Article 24. Municipal council of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall be formed on the territory of every municipality.
Article 25. Management bodies of the Municipal Council shall be the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Secretary-treasurer.
Article 26.
(1) Municipal council shall consist of its Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Secretary-treasurer and the Chairmen of local sections, formed on the territory of the given municipality.
(2) Chairman shall represent the Party's Municipal council before the state authorities and shall manage the Municipal council. He shall be by rights a member of the Regional Council.
(3) Deputy Chairman shall assist the work of the Municipal Council Chairman and co-ordinate the activities of local sections. At absence of the Municipal Council Chairman he shall execute his functions.
(4) Secretary shall keep the Party's seal and records and implement the administrative serving of the Municipal Council and shall be responsible for the Party's correspondence. Secretary shall see to the execution of the adopted resolutions and inform the Municipal council and its Chairman.
Article 27 Municipal Council shall:
p. 1, Manage the Party's activity on the territory of its formation.
p. 2. Assigns the candidates for any local elections on the territory of Municipality of its formation upon agreement with the local sections.
p. 4. Convene and organize the Municipal conference.
p. 5. A meeting of the Municipal Council shall be considered as legitimate if attended by more than one-half of its members and shall adopt its
resolutions by Simple majority. A meeting of the Municipal Council shall be convened at least once every month.
Article 28 A Municipal conference of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall be convened regularly every year upon written notice to the local sections, stating its venue, time and draft agenda.
Article 29. Municipal Council shall convene the Municipal conference. Delegates to the conference shall be the management of the Municipal Council and the members of ail local sections on the territory of the municipality.
Article 30. A Municipal conference shall be considered as legitimate if attended by more than one-half of its delegates.
Article 31. Municipal conference shall:
p. 1. Elect by simple majority the chairman, deputy chairman and secretary-treasurer of the Municipal Council and the members of the
Municipal Control and Auditing Committee for a period of two years.
p. 2. Present motions to the bodies, established by these By-laws, concerning candidates for local and national elections.
p. 3. Adopt resolutions on the Party's activity in the municipality in accordance with the resolutions of the National conference, Central
council and Executive Board.
p. 4. Hear the report, plan of activities and assess the actions of the Municipal Council and Municipal control and auditing committee.
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Article 32 (1) Municipal Control and Auditing Committee shall consist of a chairman and two members.
(2) Members of the Municipal Control and Auditing Committee shall not participate in other bodies of the Party.
(3) Municipal Control and Auditing Committee shall:
p. 1. Audit the accounting books once every year and whenever it finds it necessary.
p. 2. Control the financial, accounting and economic activity and supervise the safeguarding of Party's property.
p. 3. Audit the conformity with the law and expedience of the expenses incurred and whether they are in compliance with the budget and
resolutions of the respective bodies.
p. 4. A record shall be drawn up in every audit in four copies: for the audited body, for the Municipal Council, for the Central Control and
Auditing Committee and for its records. It shall be accounted before the Municipal conference.
Article 33. Regional council of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall be formed on the territory of every region.
Article 34. Management bodies of the Regional Council shall be the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, and Secretary.
Article 35. (1) Regional council shall consist of the Chairmen of Municipal Councils, who shall elect from among them the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Secretary of the Regional Council for a period of two years.
(2) Chairman shall represent the Party's Regional Council before the state authorities and shall manage the Regional council.
(3) Deputy Chairmen shall assist the work of the Regional Council Chairman and co-ordinate the activities of Municipal councils. Whenever the Chairman is not in a position to fulfill temporary his functions, he shall authorize in writing one of his deputies to fulfill his functions.
(4) Secretary shall keep the Party's seal and records and implement the administrative serving of the Regional Council and shall be responsible for the Party's correspondence. Secretary shall see to the execution of the adopted resolutions and inform the Regional council and its Chairman?
Article 36. Regional Council shall:
p. 1. Manage the Party's activity on the territory of its formation.
p. 2. Assigns the candidates for national elections on the territory of its formation upon agreement with the Municipal councils.
p. 3. Agree the initiatives of Municipal councils on the territory of the region of its formation.
p. 4. A meeting of the Regional Council shall be considered as legitimate if attended by more than one-half of its members and shall adopt its
resolutions by simple majority. A meeting of the Municipal Council shall be convened at least once every three months.
Article 37. (1) Supreme body of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall be the National conference. It shall be regularly convened every two years.
(2) Central Board shall convene the National conference on a delegated principle.
(3) A conference shall be convoked by serving at least one-month invitations to the local section, stating the date, starting time, draft agenda and delegate s quotas - the same for all the local sections,
(4) Right to participate in the National conference shall have the delegates elected by the local sections, sot up in accordance with these By-Saws and approved by the Executive Board. A delegate shall be entitled to one vote.
(5) Delegates of the National conference shall be by rights the member-founders of the Party, its Chairman, members of the Central Board, members of CCAC, chairmen of local sections, Municipal and Regional
Councils.
(6) Executive Board shall prepare the list of delegates at least two weeks before the beginning of the National conference.
(7) National conference shall be legitimate if attended by more than one-halt of the elected delegates.
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Article 38. National conference shall adopt resolutions only on matters accepted preliminary in its agenda. It shall not relate to the dismissal and election of new members of the Central Board.
Article 39. National conference shall:
p. 1. Amend the By-Saw and Programme of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN.
p. 2. Accept the reports of the President of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN and the Chairman of CCAC.
p. 3. Elect the Central Board president by secret vote ballot and consent
of 50% + 1 of the delegates.
p. 4. Elect the Central Board members by open vote ballot and consent of 50% + 1 of the delegates.
p. 5. Elect the CCAC chairman by secret vote ballot and consent of 50% + 1 of the delegates.
p. 6. Elect four members of CCAC by open vote ballot and consent of 50% + 1 of the delegates.
p. 7. In the event of gross breaches of these By-laws by the President or Vice-presidents, secretary, or members of the Central Board, National conference shall be free to dismiss them and to elect others instead of Them.
p. 8. Cancel resolutions for dismissal from the Party.
p. 9. Adopt resolutions for dismissal from the Party by simple majority of the registered delegates.
p. 10. Article 3 and Section VI of the By-laws can be amended only by a majority of 2/3 of the delegates.
Article 40, (1) A Party's governing body between the National conferences shall be the Central Board. (CB).
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(2) CB shall be elected by the National conference and shall have powers to the next National conference.
(3) CB shall consist of 21 members.
Article 41. (1) Central Board shall be convened for a regular meeting at least every three months and whenever it is convened by motion of the President, as well as by a motion of 1/2 of its members.
(2) Meetings of CB shall be legitimate if attended by more than one-half of its members.
p. 1. CB shall adopt its resolutions by open vote ballot and simple majority.
p. 2. Should members of the Executive Board (EB) be elected or dismissed, CB shall adopt its resolutions by secret vote ballot and simple
majority.
Article 42. CB shall have the following power. It shall:
(1) Execute the political management of the Party on the basis of the resolutions of its National conferences, By-laws and Programme and see to their execution.
(2) Determine the representative quotas for the delegates at the National conference.
(3) Approve the Party's budget and staff.
p. 1. Determine the remuneration of the Party's president and of the members of Executive Board, if any.
p. 2. Adopt resolutions for the formation of organizations for executing economic, publishing and information activities.
(4) On motion of the Party's president it shall:
1. Dismiss and elect members of the Executive Board within the periods between congresses.
(5) On motion of the Executive Board it shall form and abolish the bodies of "OMO Ilinden" ~ PiRiN, stated or not in these By-laws, except for
the central ones.
(6) Work out the pre-election platform of the Party and elect its candidates for participation in the national elections.
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(7) Adopt resolutions for participation in pre-election and political coalitions, unions and agreements by a majority of 2/3 of the votes.
(8) Adopt resolutions on all the matters, except those, which are within the competence of National conference.
Article 43. (1) Party President shall be elected by the National conference and have powers to the next National conference.
(2) President shall represent the Party before the state institutions, political formations, nongovernmental and public organizations, banks and other financial and credit institutions as well as before any other juridical and natural persons,
(3) President shall manage, organize and bear responsibility for the entire Party's activity and account for it before the Central Board and National conference. He shall be a member of the Central Board and Executive Board by rights.
p. 1. President shall preside and manage the activity of Central Board and Executive Board and account for their activity before the National conference.
p. 2. President shall appoint and dismiss all the regularly and non-regularly appointed employees in the office and central bodies of the Party.
(4) President shall present a motion to the Central Board for the members of Executive Board to be elected.
p. 1. He shall assign tasks to the members of Executive Board and require reports for their activities.
Article 44. (1) Vice Presidents shall assist the Party President in his activity.
(2) Whenever the President .is absent or impossible to fulfill temporary his functions, he shall authorize in writing one of the Vice Presidents to fulfill his functions.
(3) In the event of a long-time impossibility of the President fulfill his functions or his death, Central Board shall, by a resolution adopted by simple majority of its members, assign his functions to one of the Vice-Presidents until election of a new President.
Article 45. Executive Board shall be a permanently acting, operative body of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN.
Article 46. (1) EB shall consist of the Party President, two Vice-Presidents, Secretary General and Organizing Secretary.
(2) Members of EB shall account for their activity before the Central Board and shall be its members by rights.
(3) EB shall adopt its resolutions by open vote baliot and simple majority Article 47. (1) Executive Board shall have the following powers, it shall
p. 1. Manage and co-ordinate the activity of the Party structures,
p. 2. Bear responsibility for the functioning of Party system,
p. 3. Prepare the staff schedule for the central, regional, municipal and local structures and present it to CB for approval.
p. 4. Attract individual specialists and form temporary and permanent working groups of experts..
p. 5. Solve any matters other than those within the competence of CB and National conference and report to them.
Article 48. (1) Secretary General shall:
p. 1. Prepare the agenda and all the required documents and materials for the meetings of EB and CB.
p. 2. Take and keep the minutes of materials of the EB and CB meetings.
p. 3. Inform timely the members and forward the materials for the EB and CB meetings.
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p, 4, Inform the respective Party members and organizations of the President's orders and the resolutions of Executive Board and Central Board.
p. 5. Require, receive and keep [he primary documentation from the Party structures.
p. 6. Prepare and affix the Party's seal to the labour agreements, membership cards, certificates, travelling papers and other documents.
p. 7. Issue the required documents for manufacturing the seais of respective local organizations to a sample approved by CB.
p. 8. Keep the entire Party archive and seal.
Article 49. (1) Organizing Secretary shall:
p. 1. Assist the Vice-President in the organizational matters ensuring the activity of the national co-ordination.
p, 2. Organize the printing and spreading of propaganda and other
materials.
p. 4. Bear responsibility for the furnishing and managing the Party's property.
Article 50. Central Control and Auditing Committee (CCAC) shall consist of a Chairman and lour members elected at the National conference for a period of two years.
Article 51. Central Control and Auditing Committee shall:
p. 1. Control the manner of adopting resolutions by the Party bodies.
p. 2. Control the utilization of Party's property and finances.
p. 3. Prepare reports and present it before the National conference and Central Board once every year,
VI. SYMBOLS OF THE PARTY
- It is agreed that the Party' name is of OMO "ILNDEN" (United Macedonian Organization "ILINDEN") - Party for Economic Development and Integration of the population, briefly "OMO-llinden" -PIRIN.
- Flag: The Party flag is in scarlet (red) colour with golden sun end inscription ''OMO-llinden" -Pirin in golden colour.
- Party Emblem: Two Pirin Mountains peaks in the form of the letter "M" with the sun rising between them in yellow colour on a blue background and with an edelweiss at the foot of the peaks.
Vll. FUNDING AND PROPERTY
Article 52. Funds and property of "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall be formed from membership fees, grants and donations, subsidies from the budget and any other ways permitted by the law,
Article 53. Central Board shall determine and update the amount of membership fee, the manner of collection and allotment.
Vlll. MERGING AND TERMINATION
Article 54. "OMO-llinden" - PIRIN shall be merged and terminated by a resolution of the National conference by a majority of two-thirds of the
Elected delegates.
Article 55. "OMO-Ilinden" - PIRIN can be terminated by a court order in
the cases provided for by the law.