site.btaRuling Majority Demands Prosecutor General Geshev's Resignation

Sofia, January 14 (BTA) - In a joint declaration read out in Parliament Friday, the ruling majority of Continue the Change, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, There Is Such a People and Democratic Bulgaria urged Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev to come down. They catalogued the reasons for their demand, including lack of public trust in the Prosecutor General, mass anti-government protests in 2020 which demanded his resignation, among other things, and prosecutors' failure to investigate high level corruption, which resulted in sanctions against Bulgaria under the US Magnitsky Act.

The statement was read out by Continue the Change floor leader Andrey Gurov and was followed by MPs' loud applause.

Ivan Geshev dismissed the declaration as a publicity stunt. Approached by reporters on his way to a meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council which is expected to elect a new President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, he said: "Today is not the time to discuss Bulgarian politics. And even less when it is likely a crisis management act." He declined further comment.

Meanwhile the Prosecution Service put out a statement saying that the declaration in Parliament was "a most unacceptable and gross encroachment on the rule of law and on judicial independence". "This political act is an example of flagrant violation of the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria. The political declaration proves that the fears of the Prosecution Service leadership, as expressed more than once, including in a letter to the EU institutions, the embassies of the EU member states, the UK and the US, over a growing risk of serious and irreversible undermining of the independence of the prosecution service as part of the judiciary and a large step back from the rule of law as a leading principle in the EU," said the statement.

In the corridors of Parliament, Toma Bikov MP of the formerly ruling GERB-UDF said his party's position is that reforms are not done with declarations but with laws. "If the separation of powers is observed, it is not for Parliament to call for the resignation of the Prosecutor General," he said, adding that GERB are willing to participate in talks on a judicial reform if it is aimed at solving system problems rather than removing some people and replacing them with "our men".
KK/LN/MT