Bulgarians to Watch Live Supreme Judicial Council Election

Bulgaria's current Supreme Judicial Council has stirred a number of controversies and scandals during their term in office. File photo

The entire procedure for nominating and electing the new 11 members of Bulgaria's embattled Supreme Judicial Council, VSS, from the parliamentary quota will be available for viewing online.

According to Monitor daily, there will be even simultaneous translation in English. The hearing of the candidates will be aired live by the State-owned Bulgarian National Radio and Television, BNR and BNT.

These rules for transparency were passed by the Parliament. The selection of the new VSS will be closely monitored by experts from the European Commission as well. The procedure started Friday and every Member of the Parliament has until July 24 to nominate candidates. Their names, biographies, and motives for the nomination, will also be published online.

The 11 candidates of the Parliament are mandated to prepare a concept for their work in VSS, which will be published as well.

The hearings before the Parliamentary Legal Committee will be held on September 11, while the official election will be held on September 26. On that date, the candidates will be in plenary hall to respond to MPs' questions, and the session will be broadcast by BNR, BNT, and online.

VSS stirred shockwaves in Bulgaria last week by their controversial decision of VSS to dismiss Miroslava Todorova, Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association, BJA, and Judge at the Sofia City Court.

Without a hearing, Todorova was dismissed Thursday by VSS on disciplinary grounds over the unreasonable delay of proceedings. The move came just days ahead of the release of the European Commission's Monitoring Report on Bulgaria's Justice System and Internal Affairs under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism.

The decision provoked an avalanche of political statements, and media comments, while Bulgarian judges staged an unprecedented protest rally against the dismissal.

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