Bulgarian PM Votes for President, Suspects Opposition Conspiracy

Invalid ballots were deliberately cast by Bulgaria's opposition in order to suggest that there have been manipulations in the voting process, according to the country's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who voted in Sunday's election run-off.

The invalid ballots from the October 23 presidential vote are 229 844 or 6.4% of all ballots cast, Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) informed on Friday.

"There were hundreds of thousands of invalid ballots," Borisov said on Sunday, pointing out the percentage of invalid ballots was not higher than usual. However, he suggested that empty ballots have been deliberately cast in regions with large minority group populations in order to show the public that his ruling centrist-right GERB party has engaged in "unfair" practices.

"They are experts in conspiracy," Borisov stated, referring to the oppositional parties.

"I voted for a better Bulgaria," the Prime Minister also said upon voting, as cited by the BGNES news agency. He reiterated that his party will focus on completing the key infrastructure projects it has started working on during the first two years of its rule.

Borisov further stated that he sees no problem at all for Bulgaria's democracy if his party's presidential candidate, Rosen Plevneliev, wins the election, thus providing GERB with all crucial political positions in the country.

The Prime Minister pointed out that situations like these have already emerged during the rules of the rule of the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces (1997-2001), as well as the so-called three-way coalition (2005-2009).

In a first round with a voter turnout of 51.82%, which was marred by chaotic organization of the electoral process, especially in Sofia, and by numerous vote-buying reports, GERB's Rosen Plevneliev received 40,11% of the votes vs. 28,96%. for left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party's Ivaylo Kalfin.

In absolute terms, Plevneliev, the Regional Development Minister in Borisov's government in 2009-2011, and his running mate Margarita Popova got 1 349 380 votes, and BSP's Ivaylo Kalfin, a Member of the European Parliament and former Foreign Minister in 2005-2009, and his running mate, popular actor Stefan Danailov received 974 300.

According to all major political analysts it is highly unlikely, though not technically impossible, that Kalfin, the runner-up in the first round, will overcome Plevneliev's lead of 11%, or 375 000 votes.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!