site.btaParliament Opens New Election Procedure for Secret Police Files Commission

Parliament voted 159-7 on Friday to terminate a procedure for the election of a chairperson, deputy chairperson, secretary and members of the Commission for the Disclosure of Documents and for the Declaration of Affiliation of Bulgarian Citizens to the State Security and Intelligence Services of the Bulgarian People's Army and to open a new procedure. The proposal came from Manoil Manev MP of GERB-UDF, Chair of the Internal Security and Public Order Committee.

All the MPs who voted against are from the Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh) group.

The rules of procedure for the election were adopted on February 19.

Manev argued that the Commission, popularly known as the Secret Police Files Commission, is a specific body and by law, no party can have a majority among its members, which calls for starting a new procedure. The Commission has nine members, including the chairperson, deputy chairperson and secretary.