Bulgarian Pollsters Predict Political Deadlock after Election

Politics » DOMESTIC | January 10, 2013, Thursday // 13:58
Top Bulgarian Pollsters Predict Political Deadlock after Election: Bulgarian Pollsters Predict Political Deadlock after Election According to prominent Bulgarian sociologists, PM Borisov, has committed to a lost cause in calling on his GERB party supporters and followers to vote "no" at the referendum for the future of nuclear energy in the country. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's leading political parties would not be able to form a majority government even if they win the upcoming general election.

The forecast was issued Thursday by well-known Bulgarian sociologistsMira Radeva, Andrey Raychev, and Vasil Tonchev, speaking for TV7.

According to them, top contenders to rule the country after the summer of 2013 are the now-ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, and the opposition, left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, but none would gather enough votes to have a single majority.

The sociologists further stated that in addition to GERB and BSP, two other formations – the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, and Bulgaria for Citizens of former EU Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, would secure seats in the next Parliament.

"Borisov managed to prove he can run the country with a Cabinet only from GERB; BSP is always inclined to accept a coalition offer, but negative memories from the rule of the Three-Way Coalition, led by the Socialists, have not yet faded. We might even end up having an expert government. However, for BSP it will take time to grow to accept such idea," Raychev explained.

He added that in recent weeks GERB suffered some heavy blows, predominantly on sensitive issues such as corruption cases, and particularly in the light of them coming to power on promises to eradicate corruption.

In addition, according to Mira Radeva, for the first time and nearly at the end of the term, Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has committed to a lost cause in calling on his GERB party supporters and followers to vote "no" at the referendum for the future of nuclear energy in the country. Raychev agreed with the above opinion.

"It is clear those who vote "yes" on the referendum are voting to have a second Nuclear Power Plant and those who oppose such plan would not even go to the polls, thus we have a losing Borisov and a winning BSP leader, Sergey Stanishev. This will have an effect on the outcome of the general election," Radeva commented.

On January 27, 2013, Bulgarians will have to answer in the referendum the following question: "Should nuclear energy be developed in Bulgaria through the construction of new nuclear power units?"

Initially, senior GERB officials said the party position would be an "yes" answer, but just days ago, Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, declared that GERB party supporters will be instructed to vote "no."

The specific cause for the convocation of a referendum was the unclear fate of frozen Belene NPP project.

The referendum was sponsored by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which gathered a petition of more than the 0.5 million legally needed signatures.

In his latest statement, Borisov made it clear that GERB supports nuclear energy in principle, but opposes the Belene NPP. The Bulgarian PM added that the government and GERB are also in favor of the extension of the exploitation lives of currently functioning units 5 and 6 of Kozloduy NPP.

Originally, Belene NPP had to be built by Russian state company Atomstroyexport, but the Bulgarian cabinet froze the project in the early spring of 2012 due to perceived lack of economic effectiveness.

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Tags: Belene, nuclear units, Nuclear Power Plant, information campaign, Bulgarian Socialist Party, Boyko Borisov, GERB, Belene NPP, nuclear energy, Referendum, Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria for Citizens, DPS, Vasil Tonchev, Andrey Raychev, Mira Radeva, sociologists, Meglena Kuneva, Sergey Stanishev, BSP, Referendum, Bulgarian Socialist Party, GERB

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