Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev has strongly criticized former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov for requesting the cancellation of last week’s general election in the country.

Borisov, whose center-right GERB party narrowly won the election, surprisingly announced Thursday that GERB will appeal to the constitutional court and seek the cancellation of the election due to “a gross violation of the law in the day before the vote."

Borisov claimed that his party's chances had been damaged by allegations that it was about to commit voting fraud. He referred to the overnight raid of the Bulgarian prosecuting authority and the State Agency for National Security at a printing house on the eve of Election Day, during which a total of 350 000 illegal ballots were seized.

The printing house is owned by a GERB municipal councilor, which prompted opposition parties to accuse GERB of an attempted voting fraud. The parties thus allegedly broke the mandatory pre-election silence on Saturday.

Stanishev condemned GERB’s request, accusing the party of attempting to stir “chaos” in the country.

He described Borisov’s move as “destructive”.

“Boyko Borisov’s stance is strange, since he wants the elections annulled – and, in the same time – he says he wants to form a government,” Stanishev told reporters.

The Citizens for European Bulgaria party (GERB) of former PM Boyko Borisov won the most votes in the poll - claiming 98 of the 240 seats - but fell short of an absolute majority. It is unlikely to be able to form a government because it lacks support from other parliamentary parties.

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