site.btaUPDATED Democratic Bulgaria Supportive of Plan to Remove Top Prosecutor, Warns of Pitfall

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) called the plan to move for the replacement of Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev "an important political declaration" and expressed support for it. "It is an important political declaration, which has my support," DB co-leader Hristo Ivanov told reporters in Parliament. 

Democratic Bulgaria has long sought to bring about Geshev's removal and set in place a mechanism to hold the Prosecutor General accountable.

Ivanov said that ministers have previously tried to see Geshev removed and highlighted the importance of who is on the Supreme Judicial Council, which is the body that can remove the country's top prosecutor. 

"The question is how to make sure this is not yet another futile attempt with the present composition of the Supreme Judicial Council and the next one, that has started to take shape. In other words, what is the Supreme Judicial Council composition that we can imagine making an objective decision on such an initiative and brining it to a successful completion," Ivanov commented.

He added that it is important to make sure that all this is not just about the replacement of one person "who has reached the limit of his utility". "If Geshev's office is taken by an appointee with the profile of [Prosecutor General's Spokesperson] Siyka Mileva, for example, it will be no substantial change," he said.

Ivanov wants to hear the idea of Gabriel and GERb about reforming the prosecution service, the Supreme Judicial Council and the entire judiciary.

He commended Gabriel's plan for a constitutional reform.

Ivanov's Democratic Bulgaria and Continue the Change have formed an alliance which is the second largest group in the new Bulgarian Parliament.