site.btaProsecution Service, National Security Agency, Interior Ministry Pool Efforts Against Local Election Crimes

A national interdepartmental unit will coordinate the activity of the prosecution service, the Interior Ministry and the State Agency for National Security (SANS) to ensure their effective interaction during the election campaign, on Election Day and until the election results are announced, the prosecution service said on Monday. Bulgaria will hold local elections on October 29.

The unit was set up by an order signed by acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov, Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov and SANS Chairman Plamen Tonchev. The order regulates the activities of the institutions intended to guarantee the citizens' political rights and react quickly and adequately to election crimes.

The interdepartmental unit will be led by Maria Pavlova, Deputy Prosecutor General at the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office, and will include prosecutors from that Prosecution Office, Interior Ministry Secretary General Zhivko Kotsev, Chief Commissioner Atanas Ilkov, head of the National Police General Directorate, and SANS Deputy Chairman Denyo Denev.

The unit will provide methodological assistance to the authorities in the exercise of their powers, will carry out coordination and information exchange with the Central Election Commission and the regional interdepartmental units, and will analyse the information received from the duty units by the prosecution service, the Interior Ministry and SANS.

The unit will be operational from the start of the election campaign until the 30th day after the Central Election Commission announces the final election results, the prosecution service said.