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The draft Constitution was submitted to a Constituent Assembly elected by the Bulgarian people at Tirnova in February 1879. The Assembly elected a Committee of fifteen members to consider the draft. This Committee revised the draft, making it less democratic than before. The Assembly rejected their revision and set to work to recast the Constitution, making it far more liberal, and including a provision for universal suffrage. The Constitution thus revised was affirmed and has been in force since, with occasional suspensions when the Prince for a time took autocratic power. Since 1883 the Constitution has not been suspended.
The main principles of the Bulgarian Constitution are:
(1) Separation of public authorities into legislative, executive and judiciary.
(2) Equality of citizens, as regards civil and political rights.
(3) Inviolability of the person, residence, property, and correspondence.
(4) Liberty of conscience, liberty of the press, liberty of public meetings, and liberty to form associations.
(5) Direct and secret universal suffrage for the election of members of the National Assembly, and departmental and municipal councils.
(6) Local self-government.
The authorities under the constitution are: