Bulgaria’s President Sent Back Nomination for Supreme Administrative Court Chief

Bulgaria’s President Roumen Radev said on 4^th of October he would not sign the decree for the appointment of Georgi Cholakov as President of the Supreme Administrative Court.

Minutes before departing for a state visit to Poland, President Radev said that he sent the nomination back to the Supreme Judicial Council. He commented that it was a matter of principle and returned the nomination to the new SJC, which carries new legitimacy. “I expect its nomination, in line with all legal procedures and the society’s moral expectations,” Radev said.

Georgi Cholakov was elected as President of the Supreme Administrative at a Supreme Judicial Council sitting Court on 11th of September, few weeks before the end of the term of office of the old SJC. The new SJC took office on 3^rd of October.

20 members of the SJC voted for Cholakov, and 5 voted for his opponent Sonia Yankulova. He was nominated by the General Assembly of the Judges at the Supreme Administrative court. He was the head of the second chamber of the court and had the support of the then President - Georgi Kolev.

In previous statements, President Roumen Radev had stated that it was most logical the new President of the Supreme Administrative Court to be elected by the new Supreme Judicial Council, not by the old one.