Bulgaria's former ruling GERB party and the Bulgarian Socialist Party have won Sunday's early general elections in, respectively, 14 and 12 of Bulgaria's 31 election districts, according to preliminary data by election authorities.

The liberal Movement of Rights and Freedoms, which came out third at the vote with some 10.5%, is first in the remaining 5 election districts.

Those are Kardzhali in Bulgaria's south-east and Razgrad, Shumen, Silistra and Targovishte in the north-east, where Bulgaria's large ethnic Turkish minority is concentrated.

The remaining fourth party who has made it over the 4% election hurdle, nationalists Ataka (7.4%), have not come out first in any region.

GERB, who got some 30.7% acording to preliminary results, are first in Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv City, Plovdiv Region, Ruse, Sliven, the three Sofia City election districts, Sofia Region, and Varna.

The Socialists, who came out with 27%, are first in Haskovo, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pernik, Pleven, Smolyan, Stara Zagora, Velko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, and Yambol.

Bulgaria's 31 election districts largely follow Bulgaria's administrative divisions and do not carry an equal number of MPs.

The Bulgarian Parliament is composed of 240 seats. Voters from abroad do not have their own constituency, but their votes are rather distributed among the 31 home districts.

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