The election of a new Supreme Judicial Council must be completed by the National Assembly, Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov said. Parliament must elect the 11 members from the parliamentary quota, with each candidate requiring 160 votes.
The mandate of the current council expired more than four years ago. Prosecutors have already elected their representatives, while judges are holding a re-vote to elect six members from the professional quota.
In the first vote on 7 November, none of the 21 candidates received more than half of the valid votes. In the repeat vote, the candidates who have received the most votes are elected. A total of 2,275 judges are eligible to participate.
Seeking support for 160 votes
Naydenov identified “We Continue the Change” and “Democratic Bulgaria” as natural partners in talks on the parliamentary quota. According to him, principled discussions on the procedure have been held with both political formations.
“This time, we really must get the job done,” Nikolay Naydenov said.The minister said the aim was to elect people to the Supreme Judicial Council who had no party, financial or other dependencies. He pointed to the networks of influence linked to the “Eight Dwarfs” and “Notary” cases as negative examples.
According to Naydenov, the transparency of the procedure and the checks on the candidates are the main guarantees of their independence. The Legal Affairs Committee held a nearly 13-hour session at which the candidates were heard, and documents concerning their assets and any potential dependencies were also requested.
Plan B and Plan C in the event of another failure
The minister said the ruling parties had envisaged alternative options if Parliament once again failed to elect its quota. He did not specify the exact content of the two plans, but expressed hope that they would not have to be implemented.
Naydenov warned that responsibility for the failure of the procedure would lie with those who prevented the formation of a new council. He urged the political forces not to make the election hostage to party ambitions.
According to him, the election of the Supreme Judicial Council is only the first step in judicial reform. The changes under discussion include speeding up criminal proceedings, reforming the Inspectorate to the Supreme Judicial Council, and introducing mechanisms to prevent key bodies from continuing to operate for years after their mandates have expired.
Sources: bntnews.bg