site.btaConstitutional Court Takes Up Challenge to Security Chiefs Appointment Changes

The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria agreed on Tuesday to hear three constitutional cases on the selection of chairs of the State Agency for National Security (SANS), State Agency Technical Operations (SATO), and the State Intelligence Agency (SIA).

The complaints, filed by a group of MPs from the 51st National Assembly, challenge amendments that move the selection of the chairs of SANS, SATO and SIA to a National Assembly vote on a proposal by the Council of Ministers, and raise the number of deputy chairs from two to three.

Twelve judges took part in the sitting and the rulings were passed unanimously.

Parliament passed amendments under which the chairs of SIA and SATO are elected by the National Assembly on a proposal by the Council of Ministers. A similar decision was taken for the chair of SANS. President Radev later vetoed the changes, but the parliamentary majority overrode the veto. In late October and early November, Vazrazhdane MPs filed a petition with the Constitutional Court seeking to have the amendments ruled unconstitutional.