E/CN.4/1991/56 page 62 stipulated in its Statute - article 9 of the Religious Denominations Act. instance, at the above-mentioned session (26 November 1989) the believers elected a new pastor and a church trusteeship. For The temples of the Baptist Church in the People's Republic of Bulgaria are attended by pastors and preachers. The religious officials are freely elected on a periodic basis by the believers themselves and are approved by the Union leadership. There a.re no vacant seats for pastors. All Churches are open and function freely. The believers are fully able to satisfy their religious needs pursuant to the prescriptions of their cult. Article 2 of the Religious Denominations Act stipulates that the religious denominations in this country 'are entitled to exercise freely their religious rites within the framework of the Constitution and the national legislation'. According to article 16 of this same Act $ the central leadership bodies of the Baptist Church - as is the case of other Churches - are registered upon their election with the Committee on Matters of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Religious Cults (CMBOCRC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Local leadership bodies are registered with the respective municipal council. The CMBOCRC itself does not interfere in the internal religious life of the Baptist Church or in the election of its leadership bodies and officials." 40. In a communication dated 24 September 1990, the Special Rapporteur transmitted the following information to the Government of Bulgaria: "According to information received, Bulgarian Muslims of Turkish ethnic origin in the town of Kurdzhali, who allegedly resisted a forced assimilation campaign initiated in December 1984, had their houses and property taken away from them before being sent to prison or exiled inside Bulgaria. According to other information, material used in the Bulgarian educational curriculum contains a large number of expressions that encourage discrimination against Muslim Bulgarians of Turkish ethnic origin." 41. On 27 November 1990, the Government of Bulgaria sent its comments to the Special Rapporteur regarding the above-mentioned information: "As you are aware, in the aftermath of the changes of November 1989 and the first free and democratic elections held in June 1990, Bulgaria has embarked firmly and undeviatingly on the road to building a parliamentary democracy. The processes of democratization of Bulgarian society have brought about full guarantees for the freedom of speech and conscience, freedom of association, etc. In Bulgaria this is now the time for democratic transformations, the Grand National Assembly having started to elaborate a new Constitution. This is why the Republic of Bulgaria attaches prime importance to the full and effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of conscience and belief. This position is exemplified also in Bulgaria's attitude towards the implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, as well as towards your recommendation about working out a legally binding document on these issues from the point of view of