Bulgaria's parliament approved a law on Thursday to make voting compulsory in an attempt to boost election turnout and the legitimacy of political institutions.
European Union member Bulgaria has had five governments in less than three years. The last national election in 2014 saw the lowest turnout in 25 years, of about 51 percent, and produced a particularly fractured parliament.
According to the adopted amendments, voting will become a duty of citizens, with those voting eligible to rewards, while those not casting their ballot will be subject to penalties.
The exact nature of the rewards for voters was not clarified, but the proposals for participation in а raffle with various prizes or entitlement to discount on tax return was rejected.
The rewards for voters will not be compulsory, but optional and will be determined by the Council of Ministers.
Those who do not cast their vote will be deregistered from the electoral roll for the next elections.
Political analysis by Plamen Asenov.
