site.btaParliament Elects Plamen Tonchev to Chair Committee on Communist-Era Secret Police Files

The National Assembly elected on Wednesday Plamen Tonchev to head the Committee for Disclosing the Documents and Announcing Affiliation of Bulgarian Citizens to the State Security and intelligence Services of the Bulgarian National Army, commonly known as the secret police files committee. Tonchev was elected with 120 votes in favour, 78 against, and five abstentions.

Konstantin Penchev and Plamen Kostov were elected Deputy Chair and Secretary of the Committee respectively.

Aleksandar Yordanov, Georgi Kostov, Vladimir Vladimirov, Emil Trifonov, Kiril Kirilov, Sevdalina Chervenkova-Minkova were elected as members of the committee.

A report of the Committee on Internal Security and Public Order states that Tonchev started his professional career in the Interior Troops National Service at the Ministry of Interior. His career continued in the National Security Service at the Interior Ministry and then, at the National Security Service Territorial Unit in Vratsa, Northwestern Bulgaria. He then headed the Combating Organized Crime Unit within the Vratsa Regional Directorate. Tonchev was appointed at the position of Chairperson of the State Agency for National Security on May 26, 2021.

Penchev chaired the Supreme Administrative Court. He was an MP in the 39th National Assembly, ombudsman of the country, and a constitutional judge.

Plamen Kostov has a law degree from St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo.

One of the candidates, Gyursel Salim, did not attend the committee hearing on Tuesday, which is why MP Vanya Vasileva withdrew his candidacy for membership.

The nominations of Gabriela Kilifanova, Nikolay Tsonev and Stefan Tafrov were voted down.

The parliamentary Committee on Internal Security and Public Order heard the admitted candidates for the committee's chairmanship on Tuesday.