SOFIA: Bulgarians voted yesterday in a tight and tense snap general election marred by accusations of fraud and expected to result in political stalemate and fresh protests in the EU’s poorest member.
Despite its ouster by massive public unrest just three months ago, the conservative GERB party of former bodyguard ex-premier Boyko Borisov was tipped to win the most votes.
Eve-of-ballot polls however showed GERB pulling just 29-35 percent support, suggesting a slim win that would bring them nowhere near a governing majority.
The socialist BSP party was also snapping at GERB’s heels on 25-32 percent, with some surveys putting them neck-and-neck.
Whichever party comes first will face the tough task of finding at least two coalition partners in a severely fragmented parliament that might include up to five other parties. These could include the ultra-nationalst Ataka party, the Turkish minority party MRF and potential kingmaker DGB, a new centrist party formed by ex-European commissioner Meglena Kuneva.
The campaign has focused more on a wiretapping scandal than on the grinding poverty—almost a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line — hat so angered Bulgarians over the winter.
AFP
