TO
MR MIHAIL MIKOV
CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
MS MAYA MANOLOVA
DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
MR ALIOSMAN IMAMOV
DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
MR BOYKO BORISSOV
CHAIRPERSON OF PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF POLITICAL PARTY GERB
SERGEI STANISHEV
CHAIRPERSON OF PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF COALITION FOR BULGARIA
LUTVI MESTAN
CHAIRPERSON OF PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF MOVEMENT FOR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
VOLEN SIDEROV
CHAIRPERSON OF ATAKA PARTY
COPY TO:
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
MEDIA
Dear Ladies and Gentleman,
We are deeply concerned by the latest news in the media that the Parliament is planning not to complete the procedure of election of Chief Inspector of the Inspectorate with the Supreme Judicial Council. We strongly insist that you don’t take such course of development!
If these reports are truthful, this will be the third failed procedure in a row in two parliaments, after the mandate of the previous Chief Inspector has expired, and the Inspectorate with the Supreme Judicial Council will be left again without leadership. Along with the scandals surrounding the election of inspectors in December 2011 and in January 2012, it would definitely affirm the Inspectorate as an example of the judicial reform failures and the vicious attitude towards the judiciary by all political forces
Furthermore, it will yet again illustrate the sinister ease with which institutions are left to be delegitimized and left to fall down in the abyss of legal vacuum. In addition, their existence is eroded by doubts about the conquering of vested interests in the appointment procedures of their governing bodies. This is a chance for our political system to give for the first time in a long period an example of an impeccable election, thus for Bulgaria to produce some good news about its judicial reform. All that members of parliament have to do is to schedule an election and vote for the better of the two candidates.
The two candidacies were proposed after an unprecedented effort by the professional community and as a result of the constructive approach of the National assembly itself, providing for enough time for the nominations and their submission to the parliament. All it takes is just a few hours of parliamentary time and the election procedure for Chief Inspector of the Inspectorate with the Supreme Judicial Council will receive its decent ending. We urge you to take this time and use it in order to prevent another act of erosion of the statehood!
June 18 2014
Access to Information Programme
Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives Foundation (BILI)
Bulgarian Judges Association
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
Institute for Public Environment Development
Programme for the Development of the Judicial System
Union of Bulgarian Jurists