Coalition Challenges Push Bulgaria Toward Potential April Elections
In Bulgaria, the political climate remains tense as parties struggle to form a stable coalition following parliamentary elections
The seats in the 42nd Bulgarian General Assembly will, most likely, be divided equally between the Socialists and ethnic Turks on one side, and the centrist GERB and the nationalist Ataka on the other.
The data was released Tuesday after the Central Electoral Commission, CEC, processed close to 100% of the ballot protocols from the country and nearly 97% of those from abroad.
Results from the May 12 early general elections show that four Bulgarian parties made their way to Bulgaria's Parliament.
They are: the center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party of former Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, and their self-proclaimed arch enemies - the far-right nationalist Ataka (Attack).
According to the most recent CEC count – GERB + Ataka will have together 120 seats and DPS + BSP – another 120 in the 240-seats unicameral Parliament.
GERB has 30.53% of the vote, BSP – 26.65%, DPS – 11.22%, and Ataka – 7.31%.
In the expats' vote, DPS gathered 48.48%, GERB – 21.32%, BSP – 4.55% and Ataka – 2.85%.
Only 114 000 from the estimated 2 to 2.5 million Bulgarian expats have cast a ballot.
The votes in neighboring Turkey have brought 3 more Members of the Parliament for DPS.
The seats so far are – 97 for GERB, 85 for BSP, 35 for DPS, and 23 for Ataka.
The remaining 3% protocols from abroad can change the result if most of the 3 500 ballots in them have been cast for one of the above 4 parties.
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 came the closest, but still garnering only 2.9 % of the vote.
The right-wing Bulgaria for Citizens of former EU Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, is also close to the 4% threshold with 3.25%.
Despite purported landslide victory, the marginal conservative Order, Law and Justice has only 1.9%.
The nationalist National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria has 3.71%.
Some of the other parties below 4%, among the total of 38 parties and 7 coalitions, which joined the race, are: the other nationalist VMRO, the Center - Freedom and Dignity, which is a coalition between the party of former Tsar and Prime Minister, Simeon Saxe-Coburg and of ethnic Turkish politicians (Kasim Dal) who left DPS, the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces, UDF, the Greens, and the Coalition Gorda Bulgaria (Proud Bulgaria) of MEP, Slavi Binev.
Ivan Portnih, candidate of Bulgaria’s formerly ruling center-right party GERB, has won the battle for mayor of the coastal city of Varna by a slim margin.
Two candidates are vying to be mayor of Bulgaria's third-largest city and summer capital, Varna on the Black Sea coast.
The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office final count of the alleged illegal ballots discovered at a printing house in Kostinbrod hours ahead of the May 12 early elections is 480 000.
The number of apparently illegally printed ballots for Bulgaria's May 12 early general elections has swollen to at least 400,000, according to an announcement by the prosecution.
Bulgaria's formerly-ruling, center-right GERB Party has sent its claim contesting and asking to void the May 12 early general elections results to all European institutions.
Bulgaria's Constitutional Court has decided to try the claim contesting and asking to void the May12 early general elections results.
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