Haskovo Administrative Court will rule within a month on a challenge to the refusal of Simeonovgrad council to allow a local referendum on a refugee centre. Penka Kostova, who heads the panel of judges, said this after today's hearing.
On Monday the court said on its website that the first open hearing would be on 21 October. Today the three judges let the case go ahead, despite an objection from the lawyer for the municipality.
Earlier on this story: Court to hear Simeonovgrad refugee centre referendum case on 21 October
Residents are challenging a council decision of 18 June, in which councillors refused to allow a referendum on a centre for people seeking international protection. The question in the proposal reads: "Do you agree to ban the building of a centre to house people seeking international protection on the territory of Simeonovgrad municipality?"
The appeal says the council made serious procedural errors and that its decision goes against the law and its purpose. Lawyer Veselin Dyulgerov, who is arguing the appeal, said the council acted unlawfully when it did not give the initiative committee a month to fix flaws in the petition. He said the refusal breaks people's constitutional right to express an opinion.
Lawyer Mitko Hristozov, who represents the municipality and the council, says the appeal has no merit. He said a local referendum cannot settle the issue, because the properties are state-owned and the decision on a refugee centre is part of national policy.
Borislav Shishmanov of the initiative committee told the court that Simeonovgrad's population is ageing and people are worried about such a centre. They fear unrest, like that seen around the refugee centres in Harmanli and Lyubimets.
The case follows growing anger in the town. In February the State Agency for Refugees received properties in Simeonovgrad for closed-type centres, and the council passed a declaration against building a refugee centre. The state, in turn, began proceedings to take the properties away from the agency.