site.btaBSP–United Left Floor Leader: Ombudsman Election Agreed with Partners

Commenting on Parliament’s vote on Friday to elect Velislava Delcheva as the new Ombudsman, BSP–United Left Floor Leader Dragomir Stoynev said they had an understanding with their coalition partners that it was necessary to elect an ombudsman.

Earlier on Friday, Parliament voted 123-92, with five abstentions, to elect Velislava Delcheva. She was nominated by GERB-UDF.

"For a long time, the opposition criticized us for not electing an ombudsman, which they argued was a way to influence the upcoming election of the Counter-Corruption Commission (CCC). Today, that concern has been addressed. This decision was needed to dispel any doubt, both domestically and in Europe, that the CCC vote could be manipulated," Stoynev told journalists.

He emphasized that electing an ombudsman was key to preserving Recovery and Resilience funding. “This is an act of statesmanlike responsibility,” he said.

Stoynev expressed regret that BSP’s candidate Maya Manolova, nominated by NGOs and endorsed by the Left, won only 38 votes. “She had our full support, as always, but she needed to convince the rest of the MPs,” he said.

The BSP–United Left insists that Bulgaria must have fully functional institutions. "The political deadlock of the past four years is over; institutions must now work," Stoynev said. He recalled that the ombudsman plays a crucial role in the nomination process for the CCC members.

Asked whether there had been a prior agreement to support GERB’s candidate, Stoynev said: “We, as MPs, and I’m speaking about all those who care about the state, had to elect an ombudsman. On the one hand, we backed our own candidate. On the other, we had to support whoever received the most votes, to ensure that the country has functioning institutions.”