Bulgarian MPs Vote Procedures on Ombudsman Election

Politics » DOMESTIC | September 29, 2010, Wednesday // 09:49
Bulgaria: Bulgarian MPs Vote Procedures on Ombudsman Election The Chair of Bulgaria's Supreme Administrative Court (VAS), Konstantin Penchev, was nominated by the ruling party GERB to be the new Ombudsman. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Parliament have voted on Wednesday the procedure rules and the committee for the secret election of a new Ombudsman.

The committee would consist of 11 MPs - two MPs of each parliamentary group and one independent MP.

Every MP could vote for one of teh candidates. In case no one from the candidates manages to gain the necessary votes, a second voting would be carried out, including only the two candidates with the most votes.

After they adopted they rules, the MPs voted for the committee for the secret election of Ombudsman. Its chair will be Yuliana Koleva from the ruling party GERB.

On Tuesday, GERB suggested the Chair of the Supreme Administrative Court, Konstantin Penchev, to be the new Ombudsman.

The secret election would most probably be held on Friday. After his election, Penchev would submit his resignation and would in this way free his position in the court six months before his mandate expires.

The five-year term of the current public defendant, Ginyo Ganev, expired in April. Since GERB did not appoint a new Ombudsman immediately, suggestions started circulating in the media that Ganev would keep his position until spring 2011, when Penchev's term in the court expires.

However, on Tuesday the ruling party decided to start the procedures on the secret election of Ombudsman.

Bulgaria's rightist Blue Coalition has also stated it will support Penchev's candidature. The nationalist party Ataka has not yet announced its decision.

The Bulgarian Socialists have also not decided whether to put forth their own candidate for Ombudsman. However, they were firm they would not support Penchev.

The ethnic Turkish party DPS has decided to nominate for the position Sabrie Sapundzhieva, who is former Deputy Minister on Justice.

According to the law, the candidate who gains more than half of the votes of the MPs would be declared the new Ombudsman.

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Tags: Ginyo Ganev, DPS, Socialists, Ataka, Blue Coalition, GERB, Ombudsman, parliament, Konstantin Penchev

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