Police will set up a coordination centre for the election of a new Supreme Judicial Council, chief commissioner Alexander Arabadzhiyski, head of the National Protection Service, said. The service is in charge of moving election papers and guarding the vote.

"We plan to set up a coordination centre that will give the help needed if anything unexpected comes up," Arabadzhiyski said.

The justice ministry said officials discussed the service's tasks at a working meeting. Deputy justice minister Stanimir Stanev said this is the first time the vote will be held this way, so the transport of papers and the whole security process need careful planning.

"We're putting in every resource we have to make sure this election is open and fair," Stanev said.

At a meeting this week, the Supreme Judicial Council's plenum will vote on whether to add to its guidelines on organising the election. Only after that vote will the National Protection Service draw up detailed instructions for its regional units.

There are 18 candidates from the judges' quota, and the Judges' Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council approved all of them unanimously. The Prosecutors' Chamber did the same on 10 September, approving 17 candidates from the prosecutors' quota.