site.btaDanail Kirilov Nominated for Justice Minister

April 4 (BTA) - The National Assembly's Legal Affairs
Committee Chair Danail Kirilov will be proposed for the post of
Minister of Justice, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said at GERB
party headquarters on Thursday.

The news comes 12 days after Justice Minister Tsetska Tsacheva
resigned amid a controversy over an apartment she purchased at
below-market prices.

Kirilov said this is a very serious challenge for him. He added:
 "I take it as a sign of high trust and a very serious duty,
considering that the work on the monitoring mechanism [with the
European Commission] should be completed successfully within a
few months. This is a difficult ministry to handle, and there
are many legal issues which need to be solved."

The first task assigned to Kirilov by Prime Minister Borissov is
 related to a European Commission recommendation to include
municipal councillors in the scope of the counter-corruption
law. Borissov insisted that the recommendation should be
fulfilled, so that Bulgaria can fully meet the benchmarks of the
 monitoring mechanism (formally: Cooperation and Verification
Mechanism).

Yulian Angelov, Secretary of the United Patriots parliamentary
group (part of the ruling majority), said: "I think Danail
Kirilov will make a good minister." National Assembly Deputy
Chair Yavor Notev confirmed that the United Patriots will back
Kirilov for the job. "We already regard Mr Kirilov as Minister
of Justice," Notev said.

Volya party leader Vesselin Mareshki said his party's
parliamentary group will probably support Kirilov's nomination.
RY/VE