National Assembly to elect heads of State Intelligence Agency and State Agency Technical Operations

This means the president’s powers of appointing the heads of the special services are being withdrawn. Last week a similar change was affected with regard to the head of the State agency for National Security. The legislative amendments were adopted with the votes of the ruling majority, and the support of DPS-New Beginning and independent members of parliament.

“This means usurping repressive power in the country,” said Atanas Atanasov from the coalition We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria (PP/DB). Pretar Petrov from Vazrazhdane stated that after the amendments are promulgated in the State Gazette, his party would collect signatures to contest them in the Constitutional Court. Lyuben Dilov from the ruling GERB-SDS on his part supported the amendments, stating that it will now be clear who bears the responsibility for the appointed heads of the special services.