Lyuvi Mestan, leader of Bulgaria’s predominantly ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, has declared that his party will cooperate with the Socialist after the May 12 general election.

Mestan reiterated that the Movement will not enter a coalition with the center-right GERB or the nationalist Ataka.

“This is not the time for single-party governments or coalition deals,” he told the Bulgarian National Television.

Instead, the ethnic Turkish party leader endorsed the notion of an “expert government” proposed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

According to Mestan, BSP’s project would be based on “intellect”, while a GERB-led government will be based on “intuition.”

“I choose the intellect,” he said, declaring his support for left-wing PM hopeful Plamen Oresharski.

The formerly-ruling centrist Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, gathered 30.503% of the votes in Sunday’s general election, final results show.

Left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP is next with 26.614% , then follow the liberal ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS with 11.293% and the far-right, nationalist Ataka - 7.302%. All other parties running in Sunday's vote have remained below the 4% election hurdle.

The latest data confirms expectations by other analysts that the Socialists and the Movement together might have garnered more votes at Sunday elections in comparison with those cast for GERB and Ataka combined.

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