Bulgarian MPs accept resignation of Central Electoral Commission chief
Bulgaria’s National Assembly voted on September 3 to accept the resignation of Stefka Stoeva as head of the country’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC).
Stoeva resigned last week, citing personal reasons. Prior to her resignation, she spoke against the bill of amendments to the country’s Election Code, which MPs debated and approved at first reading on September 3.
At a CEC meeting, Stoeva criticised the bill for tasking the body with additional responsibilities to implement machine voting, without a commensurate increase in its administrative capacity to do so, Bulgarian National Radio reported at the time.
The bill failed to provide clear guidelines whether CEC should purchase or rent the voting machines, nor did it give clear directions concerning the certification of the machines, their future storage or training precinct-level election officials in how to use the machines, she was quoted as saying.
Stoeva was appointed head of the CEC in March 2019. Before that, she had a long legal career, culminating in a nine-year term as a Constitutional Court judge in 2009-2018.
(Photo: parliament.bg)
