site.btaSupreme Administrative Court President Election Starts October 17

The election of the President of the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) starts on October 17, decided the Judges Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Tuesday. Eight members of the college were in favour, three - against. The debate on whether and when to start the whole procedure lasted over an hour.

Judges Chamber member Olga Kerelska said she was in favour of a template for a staff report, but was against starting the procedure for electing the SAC President. According to her, the Judges Chamber was not competent to initiate the procedure and suggested that the Constitutional Court should be asked whether, if the term of office of the SJC had expired, the body could initiate the election in question.

The President of the Supreme Court of Cassation Galina Zaharova is against both the drafting of a template and the initiation of the procedure itself. According to her, there are neither conditions for the start of the process nor for preparatory actions.

Another member of the Chamber, Atanaska Disheva, believes that the Judges Chamber should not start the procedure. She shared similar motives as Olga Kerelska. Instead of starting a procedure for the election of the President of the SAC, Disheva pointed out that it is more important to start a procedure for the election of a new SJC.

Judges Chamber member Veronika Imova expressed the opinion that there was no obstacle to start the procedure for the election of the President of the SAC. She and Disheva disagreed on a decision of the Constitutional Court. 

According to another SJC member Tsvetinka Pashkunova, if the CC is referred, the SJC will have to comply with a possible decision and, accordingly, if it is necessary to stop or continue a given procedure. 

SAC President Georgi Cholakov suggested that nominations for the President's successor should start the week after the deadline for nominations for the Prosecutor General expires. Thus, according to Cholakov, it is better to start nominations on October 17. The mandate of Georgi Cholakov expires on November 22. 

The decision of the Judges Chamber goes to the Plenum of the SJC.