All polls published after the official announcement of the date of general elections in Bulgaria must contain information on who has ordered them, according to the Chair of the Central Electoral Commission, CEC, Rumyana Siderova.

The official announcement's date is March 13 as it is also the date on the presidential decree to hold the snap elections on May 12.

Siderova says both the polling agency and media publishing the results are mandated to publish data on the entity assigning the poll and failure to do so would be a breach of the Election Code that would lead to sanctions.

She, however, explains that in order for CEC to impose such sanctions, someone must log a claim – a citizen, any voter, political party, NGO, and media, among others.

So far no one has filed a complaint against a recent publication in the Bulgarian Pressa (Press) daily which caused a scandal among the country's pollsters as the published results gave a huge lead to the centrist Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, against the left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP.

The data was released by the MBMD agency of sociology expert, Mira Radeva.

According to it, if the general elections were to be held now, GERB would receive 30% of the vote, while BSP would have 16%.

This is a stark discrepancy with other recent polls of a number of Bulgarian sociology agencies, showing the two major parties are running neck to neck.

Radeva says her data has been confirmed by two independent polls, which MBMD has conducted on the order of "an American Foundation with the US Embassy in Sofia being aware of it and a team of French pollsters," but refused to name them.

The US Embassy stated they have requested a poll which did not include questions on Bulgarians' voting inclinations. The diplomatic mission further explained the US orders polls across the globe, but they focus on questions that would paint a better picture about bilateral partnership.

On February 21, Bulgaria's Parliament approved the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's GERB government amidst unprecedented since 1997 protest rallies against sky-high utility bills, monopolies, stagnation, corruption and wide-spread poverty, which later turned into a civil unrest and political demands.

Snap general election is to be held May 12, just two months ahead of the regular date in July.

President, Rosen Plevneliev, named the caretaker government on March 12.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!