Associated Press

Voter apathy marred Bulgaria's presidential elections with a record low turnout of less then 50 percent, forcing election officials to hold a run-off next Sunday between incumbent President Petar Stoyanov and Socialist Party leader Georgi Parvanov.

The Bulgarian Constitution requires voter turnout of at least 50 percent for an election to be declared valid.

According to Gallup International, Stoyanov and Parvanov are tied with about 35 percent of the vote each.

Analysts attribute the low turnout to the disappointment of Bulgarians, 40 percent of whom live on or bellow the poverty line, with their political leaders and on the fact that in a parliamentary republic the president has very limited powers. The president's most important functions are in foreign affairs and he will be instrumental in Bulgaria's efforts to join NATO and the European Union.

Stoyanov, 49, is backed by both the National Movement of ex-king in exile Simeon, who swept to power in the June parliamentary elections and became Prime Minister and by the Union of Democratic Forcers, the largest opposition party in Parliament.

The formerly communist Bulgarian Socialist Party and an array of smaller leftist parties support the 44 year-old Parvanov.

Both Stoyanov and Parvanov say that membership in NATO and the EU will be their top priority. Both are in agreement on major issues and each of them claims that he is better qualified to be head of state and will be more efficient in helping the government battle corruption -- a major problem in the small Balkan country.

Bogomil Bonev, a retired general and a former minister of the interior, finished third with about 18 percent and the remaining 3 candidates gathered some 10 percent.

During the coming week the battle between Stoyanov and Parvanov will be for the votes cast for the other contenders and particularly for those cast in favor of Bonev.

All polling organizations predict a very close race.

Voting was disrupted during the day in several sections by anthrax scares as envelopes with white powder were discovered. So far all anthrax scares in Bulgaria have turned out to be hoaxes but nevertheless the officials counting the ballots have been issued gas masks and special gloves.