Bulgaria Ruling Party Files Last-Minute Constitutional Court Judge Nomination

Bulgaria's center-right ruling party GERB has nominated Grozdan Iliev, Deputy Chair of the Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS), for a Constitutional Court judge.

Iliev chairs the penal college at VKS, according to reports of mediapool.bg.

The nomination was submitted by GERB MPs Krasimir Tsipov, Dimitar Lazarov, and Emil Radev, all of whom are members of the parliamentary legal committee.

Iliev's nomination for a Constitutional Court judge from the parliamentary quota was submitted at 17:58, two minutes before the expiration of the deadline.

GERB argues in a media statement that Iliev is an established professional with an impeccable reputation.

The procedure for appointing a new member of the Constitutional Court was launched anew on January 30 after the notorious failure of the nominations of Veneta Markovska and Galya Gugusheva.

On December 11, 2012, Gugusheva withdrew her nomination for a member of the Constitutional Court following money laundering allegations.

Gugusheva was nominated by UDF after the initial candidate of the right-wing party, former President Petar Stoyanov, refused to run for office.

Gugusheva became the second failed Constitutional Court parliamentary nominee, after the fiasco with Veneta Markovska, whose election by the Parliament was snubbed by Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev over allegations of trading influence.