Bulgaria's President-Elect - Runner-up Margin Shrinks to 5%

The results from the first input of 98% of the protocols of the voting polls show that the candidate of the ruling GERB party, Rosen Plevneliev, had won the presidential runoff with 52.5% of the votes.

Plevneliev's top rival – Ivaylo Kalfin, candidate of the opposition, left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) is second with 47.5% of the votes.

The latest update was announced at 7:30 am Monday by Ralitsa Negentsova, spokesperson of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC).

The protocols are processed twice before official results can be announced. The deadline set by the law is 48 hours after the closing of the polls.

For this reason, Negentsova explains the announced percentages are not final – until now 85 Municipal Electoral Commissions (OIC) from all over the country have submitted their protocols with CEC, including those from the Sofia OIC.

Candidates can appeal the final results before administrative courts.

Late Sunday evening, BSP accused the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (GERB) of unprecedented manipulation and vote buying and refused to congratulate them with the victory.

According to data from the MBMD polling agenc, young people (ages 18-39 – 64%) and voters with college education (61%) have favored Plevneliev and his running mate, former Justice Minister from the GERB cabinet, Margarita Popova.