Dnevnik.bg: SJC has its Last Chance to Decide How to Vote for a New Prosecutor General

A week before the most important elections for the judiciary – the one of a new Prosecutor General, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has not entirely clarified what the voting rules would be.

 

In the beginning of November when the SJC launched the election procedure, rules that changed the Council’s practice of long standing were adopted. SJC’ members decided instead of voting with ballot-papers to vote electronically. Therefore, tension was created between the members of the Council. All three candidates declared they have no claims how the voting will be as long as it is transparent.

“By legal and logical point of view a ballot means a single time act of a person’s will.” said the Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Cassation, Mr Lazar Gruev. In his opinion the consecutive electronic voting for the candidates makes the election itself unequal. Also the member of the SJC Kalin Kapakchiev made his statements on several occasions in favour of the ballot-papers voting. “Because the election is positive, i.e. to be elected one of the candidates they should receive that much votes “in favour” as to be sufficient to form a qualified majority (2/3 of all the members). The rule is that every member of the Council has the right and the obligation to vote “in favour” for only one candidate”, pointed Kalin Kalpakchiev.

 

According to the Chairperson of the Legal Committee with the SJC Yuliana Koleva, former MP from GERB, the electronic system of the Council guarantees the confidentiality of the vote and cannot be manipulated. “In favour” of the electronic vote also spoke up the former Judicial Inspector Milka Itova.

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