Prosecutors in the country vote for four elective members of the ninth composition of the Supreme Judicial Council. 25 candidates are competing for the professional quota seats, and 1,567 prosecutors have the right to vote according to the updated electoral list.
Election day begins at 8:00 a.m. and lasts until 6:00 p.m. An exception is possible if there are prosecutors who have not exercised their right to vote in front of any of the sections. Voting is conducted with paper ballots in 29 sections, distributed according to the judicial authority to which the magistrates are appointed.
Three sections have been opened in Sofia
Three sections have been set up in the capital. The acting Prosecutor General and the prosecutors from the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office and the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office vote in the Courthouse. The section for the prosecutors from the Military Appellate, Military District and Sofia District Prosecutor's Offices is in the building of the Sofia District Court. The third section is in the building of the Sofia City Court and the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office on “Cherkovna“ Street.
After the end of election day, the section commissions will open the ballot boxes, count the ballots and establish the number of votes for each candidate. The process will be broadcast via video surveillance and real-time video recording, including the compilation, reading and signing of the protocols.
The results must be ready by 23:00
A scanned copy of each signed protocol must be sent to the election commission no later than 21:00. The chairman of the commission must rule on the regularity of the election and announce the results and the names of the elected members by 23:00.
The procedure began on October 17 with the presentation of the candidates' concepts. Then the general meeting elected its chairman and members of the election commission and determined the voting sections.
The candidates represent different levels of the prosecutor's office - from the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office and the appellate prosecutor's offices to district, city, regional and military district prosecutor's offices. Their concepts raise issues such as the independence of magistrates, the acceleration of competitions and attestations, workload, secondment and working conditions.
“This requires consistent action“, said candidate Radoslav Gradev when presenting his concept, emphasizing the need to reduce institutional opposition.Acting Prosecutor General Vanya Stefanova opened the procedure and expressed hope that prosecutors would choose worthy and honorable professionals. After the prosecutorial quota, the elections of representatives of judges and investigators are ahead, which are part of the procedure for forming the new composition of the SJC.
Sources: bta.bg, bnrnews.bg, bntnews.bg