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President Radev takes the election of constitutional judges to court

Rumen Radev
Photo: BTA

President Rumen Radev has formally filed a request with the Constitutional Court to declare unconstitutional the decisions of the National Assembly on the appointment of constitutional judges. In his statement, the President underscores that the Constitution mandates Parliament to uphold principles of openness, transparency, publicity, and reasonableness in the selection of body members to ensure their independence. According to the head of state, these principles have been violated, which jeopardises the authority of the Constitutional Court, the presidential press centre reported. 


At issue is the election last week of two constitutional judges: Desislava Atanasova, a long-time leader of the GERB-SDS parliamentary group who has participated in the adoption of hundreds of laws, from the parliamentary quota, and former Supreme Court of Cassation judge Borislav Belazelkov, nominated by the We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB).
Meanwhile, fourteen bar associations in the country have also called on Parliament to overturn the decision to elect Atanasova and Belazelkov, reports Free Europe. According to the bar associations, the law was only formally observed in the election, as the two nominations were submitted at the last minute without public discussion. They point out that Atanasova has no experience as a judge, having worked briefly as a legal adviser in a psychiatric hospital.



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