Bulgaria's Constitutional Court has thrown out a challenge by 49 MPs over how seats on the Central Election Commission are shared out, the court says.

The dispute centres on Article 46(8) of the Election Code. Judges say the wording allows two different ways of splitting the commission's seats — and each gives a different result.

The court says the law does not spell out clearly enough how the president must go about it. It is not clear whether he must follow one fixed set of steps or can choose his own approach within the law. The only limit is that no single party or coalition can hold a majority on the commission — which is exactly the situation now.

The court found this does not breach any constitutional principle — not the rule of law, not the right to universal, equal and direct suffrage, and not political pluralism.

All 12 constitutional judges took part in the vote, and the ruling passed with 11 votes in favour. Judge Sonya Yankulova dissented.

Judge Yanaki Stoilov was the rapporteur on the case.