site.btaSocialists' Mayoral Candidate in Sofia Expects to Make it to Run-Off

Socialists' Mayoral Candidate in Sofia Expects to Make it to Run-Off

Sofia, September 16 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) candidate for mayor of Sofia, Mihail Mirchev, on Wednesday predicted he will make it to a second round of voting in the October 25 local elections. Mirchev came to the BTA National Press Club to give his first news conference as a mayoral candidate.

According to the sociologist, incumbent Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova will get close to 50 per cent of the vote, but not quite reaching that mark, meaning she will certainly have to do a run-off. As for himself, Mirchev expects to get to the second round after ranking far ahead of Reformist Bloc nominee Vili Lilkov in the first round. Even though the gap between him and Lilkov in the polls is not so big, Mirchev expects it to double in his own favour in October. Georgi Kadiev will get no more than 5 per cent in the mayoral race in Sofia, Mirchev said. Kadiev, who is a member of Mirchev's BSP, has been nominated for Sofia mayor by a coalition including ABV and the Bulgarian Social Democrats.

Mirchev noted that for the first time in 25 years several big polling agencies which conduct surveys every month have not published any polls since June. He believes this may be so because the polling results differ widely from allegations that Fandakova has a very high rating in Sofia and Mirchev stands no chance against her.