site.btaBulgaria's Political Landscape Unchanged after Local Elections

Bulgaria's Political Landscape Unchanged after Local Elections

Sofia, October 25 (BTA) - Exit polls after Sunday's local
elections show that the parties of Bulgaria's ruling coalition
keep their political positions. GERB remains the largest
political force, winning the mayorships in several key cities
outright, including Sofia, Bourgas and Varna, even in the first
round of voting. 

Central Election Commission Spokesperson Kamelia Neikova said,
citing final figures, that by 5:00 p.m. 2,753,145 persons voted
in the local elections, which translates into a turnout of 43.2
per cent.

Following are the results of polling agencies' exit polls for
some of the major cities based on a 46.5 per cent voter turnout
in the local elections by 6 p.m. local time.

Sofia Mayor:
Yordanka Fandakova, GERB, winner: 59.9 per cent
Vili Lilkov, Reformist Bloc (RB): 9.5 per cent
Mihail Mirchev, Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP): 8 per cent
Georgi Kadiev, Serdica/ABV coalition: 7 per cent
Angel Djambazki, Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
(IMRO): 4.9 per cent
Yavor Notev, Ataka: 3 per cent

Sofia Municipal Council:
GERB: 45.5 per cent
RB: 17.5 per cent
BSP: 10.1 per cent
IMRO: 4.2 per cent
Ataka: 3.3 per cent
Movement 21: 3.2 per cent
National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB): 1.9 per
cent
Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF): 1.1 per cent
Others: 9.7 per cent

Plovdiv Mayor:
Ivan Totev, GERB: 36.6 per cent
Slavcho Atanassov, coalition of NFSB and IMRO: 19.6 per cent
Georgi Gergov, BSP: 12.4 per cent

Plovdiv Municipal Council:
GERB: 34.1 per cent
Slavcho Atanassov coalition of NFSB and IMRO: 15.7 per cent
BSP: 14.1 per cent
Zdravko Dimitrov local coalition: 10.2 per cent
Plovdiv Union: 7.9 per cent

Bourgas Mayor:
Dimiter Nikolov, GERB, winner: 83.7 per cent
Boiko Mirazchiiski, NFSB: 5.6 per cent
Evgenii Mossinov, BSP: 5.6 per cent

Bourgas Municipal Council
GERB: 54.7 per cent
BSP: 7.2 per cent
RB: 7 per cent
NFSB: 6.3 per cent

Varna Mayor:
Ivan Portnih, GERB, winner: 57.9 per cent
Chavdar Trifonov, coalition including RB: 11.6 per cent
Anelia Klissarova: 9.5 per cent

Varna Municipal Council:
GERB: 42.9 per cent
RB coalition: 12.6 per cent
BSP: 6.2 per cent
Life for Varna: 6.2 per cent

Kurdjali Mayor
Hassan Azis, MRF, winner: 53.8 per cent
Ilia Iliev, GERB: 27.7 per cent
Georgi Kyuchoukov, BSP: 11 per cent

Kurdjali Municipal Council:
MRF: 52.5 per cent
GERB: 25.1 per cent
BSP: 11.8 per cent
RB: 6.4 per cent

Haskovo Mayor:
Dobri Belivanov, GERB: 49.5 per cent
Georgi Ivanov, a coalition of forces, including RB: 29.6 per
cent
Myumyun Myumyun, MRF: 10 per cent

Haskovo Municipal Council:
GERB: 35.7 per cent
Coalition for Haskovo: 16.9 per cent
MRF: 12.3 per cent
BSP: 7.8 per cent
RB: 6 per cent

The national breakdown by party according to voter turnout and
exit poll data by 7 p.m. as follows:

GERB: 34.5 per cent
BSP: 17.12 per cent
MRF: 14.6 per cent
RB: 9 per cent
ABV: 4.3 per cent
Ataka: 3.1 per cent
NFSB: 2.75 per cent
IMRO: 2.5 per cent
Other: 12.1 per cent

Analysts Comment Exit Polls Results

Alpha Research expert Boryana Dimitrova said on National
Television that the election results do not call into question
the sustainability of the ruling coalition of GERB, the RB, ABV,
 and the Patriotic Front. "The main political parties, both in
government and in opposition, keep their electorates," Dimitrova
 said. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, nationalist parties did not
achieve a breakthrough.

Social anthropologist Haralan Alexandrov said that the results
guarantee the minimum stability that Bulgaria needs to address
its most pressing issues.

Journalist Petko Georgiev said that the expectations that the
local elections results will enable the MRF to claim a place in
the ruling coalition were proved wrong: the MRF confirmed its
standing as a regional force with national ambitions.

Sociologist Kolyu Kolev said that, given that GERB and the BSP
did not show dramatic advances in their rankings, the RB emerged
 as the only winner which, in his view, would cushion tensions
in the ruling coalition.