The parliamentary groups of GERB, BSP, "There Is Such a People", and "DPS - New Beginning" unexpectedly reached an agreement to accelerate the procedure for selecting an ombudsman, which had been postponed since April.
The candidates for this prestigious state position are a record number - six established professionals: Anton Stankov, Maria Mateva, Jema Grozdanova, Dimitar Margaritov, Maya Manolova, and Velislava Delcheva.
An interesting fact is that the expanded constitutional changes create new opportunities for candidates, allowing the ombudsman or their deputy to be potential interim prime ministers.
The procedural rules for nomination were adopted by the legislative body on February 13 of the current year, with a 28-day period set for proposals. Members of parliament, parliamentary groups, and non-profit organizations serving the public interest had the right to nominate.
Before the final vote for ombudsman, deputies will discuss several essential issues. The agenda includes personal changes in permanent parliamentary committees, proposed by Nikolay Denkov - co-chair of the parliamentary group "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria".
Among the priority legislative topics are changes to the Criminal Procedure Code, a general bill amending the Criminal Code, and ratification of international health standards, submitted by the Council of Ministers.
During regular parliamentary control, ministers Georgi Georgiev, Silvi Kirilov, Marian Bachev, Georgi Takhov, Manol Genov, Borislav Gutsanov, and Daniel Mitov will be heard, who will answer questions from members of parliament.
The upcoming vote promises to be extremely dynamic and important for Bulgaria's institutional development, with the election of a new ombudsman marking the beginning of a new stage in protecting citizens' rights and freedoms.