Who is Who: Yordanka Fandakova

Yordanka Fandakova is the candidate of the ruling GERB party in the Sofia Mayor Elections scheduled for October 23, 2011. She will make an attempt to win a second term in office after gaining the support of the majority of Sofia citizens two years ago.

Fandakova was born in the southwest Bulgarian town of Samokov in 1962. She graduated from the Russian language high school in Sofia, and later obtained a degree in Russian language from Sofia University.

In 1985-1998, she was a teacher at the 73rd high school in Sofia, "Vladislav Gramatik"

In 1998-2005, she was the principal of the same school.

In 2005, after the election of Boyko Borisov as Sofia Mayor, Fandakova became Deputy Mayor of Sofia in charge of education, youth, culture, and science.

Fandakova was elected Member of the Bulgarian Parliament from the GERB party in the July 2009 Parliamentary Elections.

Bulgaria's current Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, selected her as the Minister of Education, and she was sworn in office together with the GERB party government on July 27, 2009.

Fandakova was elected the new Mayor of Sofia after receiving 66% of the votes in a run-off, which was held on November 15, 2009.

Her rival - the candidate of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Georgi Kadiev – garnered 27,71% of the votes.

Thus Fandakova went down in history as the first woman to ever become Mayor of the Bulgarian capital. She was the candidate of the ruling GERB party and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, but was also supported by the nationalist Ataka party and the rightist Blue Coalition.

Fandakova has recently admitted she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, but has managed to win the tough battle while trying to find solutions of the capital's gravest problems.