Partial elections for mayor in the town of Velingrad, Southern Bulgaria, restored to the post the candidate, whom a supreme court stripped of victory during the 2003 vote on corruption charges.

Fidel Beev, nominated by the Bulgarian Republican Bloc, garnered 58% of the votes in Saturday's poll against 40.9% for the runner-up candidate mayor Atanas Vodev, whose nomination was supported by the Simeon II National Movement, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the Union of Democratic Forces, the Union of Free Democrats and BANU - Popular Union.

The third candidate, independent Angel Toporchev, won just 1% of the votes.

The headquarters of the second-ranked Atanas Vodev claim the vote has been rigged and want the results to be invalidated.

Saturday's vote drew a comparatively high turnout, with local authorities saying that over 70 percent of Velingrad's voters cast their ballots.

In the run-off poll of the mayoral elections in 2003, Fidel Beev garnered some 60% of the votes as speculations emerged that that the kidnapping of his daughter Dessislava days before the second round of the elections has been set up.

Dessislava returned home safe and sound a day after her father declared victory, without any ransom paid.

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