Burgas prosecutor Blagovest Vangelov, a candidate for the new Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in the prosecutors' quota, was not heard at Saturday's general assembly. He did not attend for medical reasons.

This report follows our earlier story on the hearing of 25 candidates for the new SJC in the prosecutors' quota at the prosecutors' general assembly.

The assembly chose an election commission headed by prosecutor Viktor Malinov. Its regular members are prosecutors Emil Georgiev, Nikolay Gugushev, Nikolay Nikolaev, Ilina Chobanova, Aleksandar Mihaylov and Desislava Kalaydzhieva. The prosecutors also set up the polling stations, then heard the candidates.

Acting prosecutor general Vanya Stefanova opened the assembly. "...I hope this will be the last general assembly led by an acting prosecutor general," she said. Stefanova hopes the election will be finished, including in the parliamentary quota, where the National Assembly picks SJC members.

The prosecutors will vote on which candidates join the council next Saturday, 24 October.

Under the timetable the SJC approved, judges hold their general assembly on 31 October and vote on 7 November. Investigators meet on 14 November and vote on 21 November.