Bulgaria Oks Controversial Overhaul in Communications Watchdog

Filiz Hyusmenova has alerted the Europen Parliament about possible attempts of the Bulgarian ruling party GERB to politically control the indepetdent regulatory commissions. Photo by BGNES

Amidst growing accusations of attempts to replace key officials in the national administration with political supporters, the ruling majority in Bulgaria's parliament reduced on Thursday the members of the competition watchdog from seven to five.

The members will be elected for a five-year term.

“This is just yet another bill, which aims to make a controversial overhaul in an independent regulation body,” Ana Yaneva, a Socialist member of the parliament, fumed from the parliamentary rostrum.

Last month Bulgarian lawyer and MEP from DPS (Movement for Rights and Freedom) Filiz Hyusmenova alerted the European Parliament for possible attempts by the ruling party GERB to make political changes in the three main independent regulatory bodies: the Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD), the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) and the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC).

Filiz Hyusmenova, who is also vice-president of DPS, the party which represents the Turkish and Muslim minority in Bulgaria, said that a new law is to be passed envisaging changes in the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) while its members are legally elected for a six-year mandate.

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