Parallel vote counts have conclusively confirmed that four parties will certainly make their way to Bulgaria's 42nd General Assembly after the Sunday early general elections. File photo
After half of the ballot protocols in, the parallel vote count has confirmed in general the results of the exit polls in Bulgaria's early general elections.
According to the Alfa research polling agency, which is doing one of the parallel counts, the center-right GERB party of former Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, got 30.9% of the vote.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, has 25.5%, the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS - 11.5% and the latter's self-proclaimed archenemies - the far-right nationalist Ataka (Attack) – 6.9%.
Stunningly for many none of the oldest "hardline" right-wing formations are going to be in the next Parliament.
From the right-wing parties, which are credited with throwing out the ex-communists who had pushed the country to the brink of financial crisis in the 90s, only Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, DSB, of former Prime Minister Ivan Kostov is close, garnering 3.1 % of the vote.
The right-wing Bulgaria for Citizens of former EU Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva is also close to the 4% threshold with 3.3%.
Also as a surprise, the nationalist National Front for Saving Bulgaria has 3.7%.
The turnout is 50%, based on protocols from 200 voting polls.
According to the parallel count of the Sova-Harris agency – GERB has 30.6%, BSP – 25.8%, DPS – 13.2%, Ataka – 7.2%, the National Front for Saving Bulgaria – 3.8%, Bulgaria for Citizens 2.8% and DSB – 2.7%.
Both counts conclusively confirmed that four parties will certainly make their way to Bulgaria's 42nd General Assembly.
The pollsters note that the protocols from the biggest cities are still coming, in along with the ones from the vote abroad.
Another parallel count is done by the Austrian company SORA.