8 PARTIES TO ENTER BULGARIA’S NEXT PARLIAMENT

With 99.951% of the votes counted as at 12:40 on 6th of October, the centre-right GERB wins the early parliamentary elections with 32,66%, the latest results of the Central Election Commission show. The Bulgarian Socialist Party comes second with 15,41% and the third is the Movement for Rights and Freedoms with 14,83%.

8 political formations are expected to enter the next National Assembly – 3 parties and 5 coalitions. This would be the most colourful Parliament since the beginning of the transition in Bulgaria. The centre-right Reformist bloc, the populist coalition “Bulgaria without Censorship”, the nationalist alliance “Patriotic Front”, the center-left “ABC” and the nationalist “Ataka” will also have seats in the new National Assembly.

The big question after the vote on Sunday, 5th of October, is whether a stable government would be formed and which parties will participate or support it. The leader of GERB, Boyko Borisov, called for the parties to wait for the final official results and then get together and discuss how to proceed.

The Reformist Bloc and the MRF expressed readiness for a dialogue. The socialists however were firm they would stay in the role of constructive opposition.

The final results from the October 5th Parliamentary elections will be announced by the Central Election Commission no later than 9th of October. The names of the new MPs will become clear by 12th of October.