site.bta22 Parties, 7 Coalitions Have Registered for Parliamentary Elections - Commission

Sofia, August 21 (BTA) - Twenty-two parties and seven coalitions submitted applications for registration in the early general elections, which expired on August 20, Central Election Commission (CEC) Spokesman Alexander Andreev said at a regular news briefing of the Commission on Thursday. Two of the parties were denied registration.

The Directorate General of Civil Registration and Administrative Services is performing a check of the submitted documents. The results of the check of nine parties and two coalitions are yet to be received. All inspections should be completed by August 25, when the participants in the elections will become known.

Each party and coalition having registered candidate lists in all constituencies are entitled to a media package of 40,000 leva, while the initiative committees having nominated independent candidates - to 5,000 leva. The amounts are being coordinated with the Finance Ministry, said Andreev.

All regional election commissions have been appointed and their members already have full powers. One of the main tasks is to register the initiative committees, which will nominate independent candidates by August 25.

Andreev quoted statistical figures showing that 22 parties and coalitions ran in the 2005 elections, 18 parties and coalitions - in the elections in 2009 and 63 parties and 7 coalitions - in the ones in 2013.

A change regarding the coalitions can be made by August 30, while the candidate lists have to be registered by September 2, after which the sequential numbers on the ballot assigned to the parties and coalitions will be determined by lots.

Taking a question, Andreev said that on the CEC's website there is an electronic application form for those Bulgarians who want to vote abroad. Applications can also be filed by post or in person at the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular representation in the corresponding country. A letter can contain more than one
 application, he specified. The CEC's website also provides information on the places where polling districts will be opened: the locations where more than 100 voters have voted in the last five years.

The Other Bulgaria party and one of the two Bulgarian Communist Parties were denied registration, Andreev explained. The first formation did not present the required list of supporters of its registration in a structured form on a technical device, while the representative of the other party, Kroum Zahariev, did not submit a number of documents, including one certifying that he is legitimately representing the Bulgarian Communist Party.