Bulgarian Right-Wingers to Endorse Top Court Judge by End-Week

Embattled Bulgarian right-wing party Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) is still determined to come up with a new nomination for the country's Constitutional Court by the end of the week, UDF leader Emil Kabaivanov has stated.

Kabaivanov has claimed that UDF's six remaining Members of Parliament are "obliged" to accept the nomination.

The MPs would be otherwise expelled, he told reporters.

On Monday, three "unruly" UDF lawmakers, including former UDF leader Martin Dimitrov, were expelled from the right-wing party, as they had refused to endorse the party's constitutional judge nominee, former President Petar Stoyanov (1997-2001).

While the maverick MPs did not oppose Stoyanov, they noted that his nomination was imposed by the ruling centrist-right GERB.

Last week, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov unexpectedly invited UDF to nominate a replacement for GERB's failed constitutional judge nominee on grounds the formation was the oldest right-wing party in Bulgaria and is a member of the European People's Party, EPP, similarly to GERB.

The move was interpreted as an attempt from the PM to attract the allegiance of the Union and create further divisions in the feeble Blue Coalition between the UDF and DSB.

UDF's governing body agreed and nominated former President Petar Stoyanov (1997-2001) for constitutional judge. However, UDF's MPs opposed the nomination, saying the move would only help the ruling party to wipe-off its own shame after the failed nomination of judge Veneta Markovska.

Stoyanov declinded the nomination.