Resignation of Attorney General Ivan Geshev and Judicial Reform in Bulgaria

The issue of the resignation of the Attorney General is at the center of politicians’ comments even today. The unifying opinion is that the removal of Ivan Geshev cannot exhaust the reform of the judicial system. Today Geshev will return home from his official visit to the USA, sources from the Court House confirmed for NOVA. Whether accuser #1 will voluntarily submit a resignation for the SJC to vote, or whether it will lead to a procedure before Themis, is not clear.

The request for the early termination of Ivan Geshev’s mandate should not displace the topic of the explosion on his car, because the truth must be found. Vice President Iliana Yotova commented on this. She was categorical – this should not stop the judicial reform.

“This case, as we know, reverberated in the European Union, the European institutions also intervened. Bulgaria’s name must be cleared,” she said.

The request comes only a day after the GERB-SDS prime minister candidate put it as a top priority in his work, which cannot help but cause bewilderment, Yotova also said.

“The speed with which this process is developing, from an application by a yet-to-be-implemented Prime Minister in the person of Mrs. Gabriel. “Suddenly, such a reaction in the circles related to the judicial system, which until yesterday were of a completely different opinion”, claims Yotova.

Zarkov: The problem with the institution of the chief prosecutor is systemic

And while the personnel officers are waiting for Ivan Geshev to hand him the request for resignation, the Minister of Justice Krum Zarkov refused to submit one on his behalf next week. Because the procedure is already open.

“The problem with the institution “general prosecutor” is systemic. And his decision must be systematic, that is, legal. And that’s why I’m looking forward to the first substantive session of the Parliament’s Legal Committee, where the Law on Accountability of the Prosecutor General will be considered”, explained Minister of Justice Krum Zarkov.
Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev also saw a political flavor in the sudden change of opinion of six of the members of the Prosecutor’s College.

“Prosecutors who protested in his defense suddenly filed a motion. Entire labor groups that supported him are now against him. An extremely unpleasant picture. The prosecutor’s office cannot be the brainchild of the political forces and very quickly, when given a signal, jump in and do one thing or another. If prosecutors want to be magistrates, they must be independent,” he said.

What is the procedure in the SJC for the removal of Ivan Geshev

And former deputy chief prosecutor Boyko Naydenov commented that he was puzzled by the motives.

“I don’t know how they found that out. Did they do investigations or what? I also don’t know in what capacity Borislav Sarafov was there,” said Naydenov.

Whether an Israeli expert was admitted to the scene of the explosion is the responsibility of the leader of the investigation, Naydenov reminded. Therefore, an investigation must establish who was there, with whose permission and what they were doing.