Desislava Atanasova and Borislav Belazelkov were sworn in as Constitutional Court judges
The newly elected constitutional judges Desislava Atanasova and Borislav Belazelkov were sworn in at the Constitutional Court on January 26. The ceremony was held in the presence of the Speaker of Parliament and the presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Supreme Administrative Court.
President Rumen Radev did not attend the oath taking ceremony.
"During its 32 years of existence, the Constitutional Court has maintained its independence and will continue to do so in the future. Every constitutional judge is required to observe the principles of impartiality, independence and objectivity in order to meet the high standards of professionalism of the Constitutional Court, as it has been until now and it must be preserved for the future," said the president of the Constitutional Court, Pavlina Panova, during the swearing-in ceremony.
On January 19, the National Assembly elected Belazelkov and Atanasova as members of the Constitutional Court from the Parliament's quota. The MPs also accepted that the term in office of the new constitutional judges should be 9 years.
President Rumen Radev, for his part, challenged the constitutionality of the election of the new judges before the Constitutional Court and called on them not to take an oath until the ruling of the court.
President challenged the constitutionality of the election of two new Constitutional Court judges
The election was also objected by the three oposition parties "Vazrazhdane", BSP and "There is such a People." They reffered to the Constitutional Court over the election of constitutional judges from the parliamentary quota.
Constitutional Court opens second case over the election of the new constitutional judges
Several bar associations in the country also called for the cancellation of the election.
There was also a civil protest demanding the termination of the procedure and the resignation of the newly elected magistrates.
