Bulgaria Suspends Prosecutor General Election

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has decided to suspend the election of the Prosecutor General. This decision came after a proposal from some of the SJC members, which will be voted on, to postpone the election until the amendments to the Judiciary Act are published in the State Gazette.

The changes to the Judiciary Act, which include provisions preventing the election of any of the leading candidates, are expected to impact the process. Among these changes is a stipulation that prohibits the election of a new Prosecutor General by an SJC with an expired mandate. Additionally, if the presidential decree required to finalize the election procedure is not issued, any open procedure must be terminated. This includes the nomination of Borislav Sarafov, the only candidate currently in the running. Sarafov, who is serving as acting Prosecutor General, did not attend the SJC meeting on the day of the decision.

The SJC had initially scheduled a vote to elect a new Prosecutor General, but with 18 members in favor of the proposal, the election was postponed. The decision came after discussions that centered on the uncertain timing of the amendments' publication in the State Gazette. Boyan Magdalinchev, a representative of the SJC, acknowledged that the election procedure could be halted, though it was unlikely to proceed as originally planned.

A protest has been announced in front of the SJC building in response to the ongoing developments, particularly the candidacy of Sarafov.

Sources:

• Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)
• Bulgarian National Television (BNT)