Bulgarian MPs to Hear Candidates for Ombudsman, C-Bank Deputy Governors
Domestic | July 23, 2015, Thursday // 11:12| viewsPlenary chamber of Bulgaria's National Assembly. Photo: BGNES
Two committees of the Bulgarian Parliament will hold on Thursday hearings of the candidates for ombudsman and deputy governors of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB).
The parliamentary Religious Denominations and Human Rights Committee will hold a hearing of the two candidates for ombudsman.
The candidates for the position are the incumbent Konstantin Penchev, who is running for a second term, and the Socialist MP Maya Manolova.
Manolova was nominated by her colleagues from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), while the Reformist Bloc (RB) announced Penchev as its candidate.
According to the procedure on the election of new ombudsman, civil organisations safeguarding human rights can also pose questions to the candidates.
The mandate of the incumbent ombudsman expires on October 20, but the legislation foresees for the next holder to be elected by August 20.
Since the parliament will be in recess at that time, it is expected that the new ombudsman will be elected next week by a secret ballot.
The candidate, who garners more votes and the votes represent more than half of the ballots cast, will be elected as the new ombudsman.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee will hear the three candidates for deputy governors of BNB, which were nominated by the newly elected governor of the bank - Dimitar Radev.
Radev proposed two reshuffles within the current governance of BNB, largely retaining the composition of the team of his predecessor - Ivan Iskrov.
One of the proposed reshuffles foresees for the incumbent Deputy Governor in charge of the Banking Department Dimitar Kostov to become Deputy Governor heading the Banking Supervision Department.
The Banking Department will be entrusted to the incumbent chief jurist of BNB Nina Stoyanova.
The Deputy Governor in charge of the Issue Department Kalin Hristov is to retain his position.
The nominations raised some contradictions because the new governor seems to be wanting to preserve the majority of the governance, which was in office during the collapse of Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB).
The candidates seem to be supported by the main ruling party GERB and the second largest opposition party DPS.
Supporters of the candidates point to their professionalism and the need for continuity, while critics argue that the nominees are responsible for the collapse of KTB.
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