Center-right GERB party has won most votes in Bulgaria’s early parliamеntary elections on Sunday but fell short of an overall majority.

According to an exit poll conducted by Alpha Research, a total of seven parties have passed the four-percent threshold to enter Bulgaria’s 43rd National Assembly.

GERB won 33,2% of the vote, making it likely for the party to seek partners among smaller parties to form a coalition government.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) came second with 16.5% and the mainly ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms was third with 14.1%.

The Reformist Bloc had 8.7% support, Bulgaria Without Censorship had 6.3% and nationalist Patriotic Front won 6.0%    

ABV party led by former President Georgi Parvanov won 4.1%.

The pollster has proposed an allocation of Parliament seats as follows:

GERB - 90, BSP - 45, DPS - 38, RB - 23 Bulgaria without Censorship - 17, Patriotic Front - 16 ABV - 11.

An alternative survey by the same agency has suggested parties in the next National Assembly might amount to six, with ABV left out.

GERB won overwhelming support in the Black Sea city of Varna, the third-largest city (37 percent, with the runner-up just at 10 percent) and in the second-largest, Plovdiv (37%, against the BSP's sixteen percent), according to Alpha Research.

In the capital Sofia's 25th electoral district, GERB was also the winner with 38 percent, but the Reformist Bloc came second here at 14%, and socialists were third with 13 percent.

The DPS managed to keep its stronghold Kardzhali, a city in Bulgaria's south with the overwhelming 70 percent, despite low voter turnout standing at 32 percent, contrary to all expectations.

More to follow.

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