Bulgaria left without an ombudsman amid political crisis

5 months ago 22

Bulgarian citizens are now left without a national ombudsman to protect their rights and freedoms following the resignation of incumbent Diana Kovatchev on Wednesday, as the country’s political crisis continues.

Kovatcheva, also the former justice minister in the government of ex-prime minister Boyko Borissov 11 years ago, is taking up her post as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on 17 April.

Kovatcheva sent a letter to parliament stating she was resigning as ombudsman in connection with her election as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights and her upcoming inauguration, as the term of the current Bulgarian judge in Strasbourg, Jonko Grozev, expires on 12 April.

Earlier, Diana Kovatcheva categorically refused to be nominated as caretaker prime minister.

For the first time, since the Bulgarian institution of the public defender – Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria – was established in 2005, there is currently no one to perform this function.

At the same time, for decades, the country has been heavily criticised by the Council of Europe for the appalling state of arrests, prisons, residential homes for people with mental health problems and numerous other social institutions.

In Bulgaria, the Ombudsman works independently and is subject only to the laws of the country and international treaties ratified and in force in Bulgaria. They advocate for citizens when their rights are affected or violated by government action or inaction and have exclusive powers to ensure that the rights of people in places of detention are respected.

While elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term, according to the latest changes in the constitution, the ombudsperson and their deputy are among the people who can be appointed caretaker prime minister if the parliament fails to elect a government.

In Romania, parliament accepted the resignation of the deputy ombudsman Elena Cherneva-Markova two weeks ago, with political commentators alleging she was leaving the position to avoid nomination for caretaker prime minister post.

(Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)