The plenum of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) unanimously agreed on November 21 to complete the election of the professional quota for a new composition of the council.
The first general meeting will be held by prosecutors on October 17, and the vote - on November 24. The second meeting - of judges, will be on October 31, and the vote - on November 7. The investigators will have a general meeting on November 14 and a vote on November 21.
The Minister of Justice Nikolay Naydenov indicated to the media that the parliamentary quota will be elected in parallel. The discussion about what should be the priority - was quite in-depth compliance with the deadline set by law or providing an opportunity for full organizational mobilization through video recording, ensuring the right places and the opportunity for candidates to conduct their campaign during a period designated for a judicial vacation, he also said.
Tsvetinka Pashkunova, a member of the council, indicated during the meeting that video recording will be performed during the elections, the opening of the ballot boxes and the counting of the ballots. Media representatives will be present at all stages of the election process, she added. Pashkunova, however, drew attention to the fact that there is a problem with the public procurement contract to provide video recording. It is not certain whether the results for the video recording equipment will be ready by mid-September, she said.
Minister Naydenov indicated to the Plenum that it is not possible to amend the Public Procurement Law for one contract, but given the urgency, there are sufficient mechanisms in it. There are objective circumstances and I think that the procedures can be carried out in a short time, he said. He added that they should be guided by maximum publicity and freedom of elections, because this will determine public opinion about this composition in the future and that quality should not be inferior to speed.
According to Galina Zakharova, President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, it would not be fatal to slightly exceed the deadlines.
On July 1, the "State Gazette" published the amendments to the Law on the Judiciary, which regulate the election of a new SJC and the Inspectorate to the SJC. The election must be held no later than October 17 of this year.
According to the amendment to the law, the National Assembly, in turn, adopts rules establishing the presence of high professional and moral qualities of the candidates from its quota in the SJC, taking into account their professional qualifications, practical experience, public authority and capacity.
According to other changes, until the newly elected members of the SJC Plenum take office, the Judicial and Prosecutorial Colleges postpone the adoption of decisions that directly affect the organization and functioning of the judicial system, concern its independence or have a lasting personnel or organizational effect.