The change in position itself constitutes a conflict and I see absolutely no reason for the Ombudsman and the Deputy Ombudsman to remain as part of the list for an acting prime minister.
This was said by Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva in the program “Why? With Zheni Marcheva“ on bTV in response to a question about the election of an acting prime minister. The Ombudsman and the Deputy Ombudsman are among the positions from which the president can appoint an acting prime minister.
Delcheva believes that the Ombudsman institution should be independent from the other authorities, as written in the Constitution itself and in the Ombudsman Law. The UN Committee, which accredits institutions for the protection of human rights, has issued a recommendation to Bulgaria, which explicitly states that the ombudsman should not be part of the executive branch, the public defender also pointed out.
According to Delcheva, if the ombudsman accepts to be an acting prime minister, the reputation of the institution itself could be tarnished. You can imagine how the ombudsman, who is called upon to protect the rights of citizens, when the state has not done its job, becomes the state for a few months, and then returns and again protects citizens from the action or inaction of the state, she commented.
Velislava Delcheva also said that President Rumen Radev has not sought her out for a meeting on the topic. She added that she will go for talks if she receives an invitation. And I will explain once again my position why the ombudsman should not be an acting prime minister, Delcheva said. Asked about changing the Constitution, she said that it is clear to everyone that Article 99 creates problems because a large part of the potential candidates, for one reason or another, do not want to become acting prime ministers.
Regarding the change in the country's currency, the ombudsman expects banks to solve the problems of exchanging levs for euros. Delcheva said that citizens have signaled the institution about the increase in the price of food in school canteens, about which she has sent an inquiry to Mayor Vasil Terziev.