site.btaIncumbent President Radev Re-elected

November 22 (BTA) - Rumen Radev won Bulgaria's
presidential runoff on Sunday on about two-thirds of the vote
based on parallel vote counts by three polling agencies. He is
Bulgaria's sixth President and the second after Georgi Purvanov
(2002-2012) to win a second term.

Parallel vote counts give his rival, Anastas Gerdjikov, about 32
 per cent of the vote.  

In his first statement to the media, Radev said: "The status quo
 failed to stage a comeback despite fake news and attempts to
dissuade people from voting."

"Bulgaria passed the exam in democracy. The people did not give
in to attempts at sowing ethnic division. Common sense and
patriotism prevailed over apathy and lies," said Radev.

He also said that an unprecedented month in politics, with
presidential and parliamentary elections held on November 14,
had ended. The elections clearly demonstrated the people's
desire for change, for putting an end to corruption, theft and
lawlessness, for ousting the mafia from power.   
 
He offered thanks to the law-enforcers, to all candidates for
their ideas and contribution, and to all parties which supported
 the Radev-Iotova ticket.

Radev said the new Parliament had no right to make mistakes and
to procrastinate.

The Continue the Change party led by two former caretaker
ministers, Kiril Petkov and Assen Vassilev, won the November 14
parliamentary elections and will have 67 seats in the 240-seat
Parliament.

"The new cabinet must not retreat from the foreign policy
positions in defence of the rights of our compatriots [with a
Bulgarian identity] in the Republic of North Macedonia," Radev
said.

Bulgaria is emerging from stagnation and autocracy and is
embarking on the road of development, the winning candidate
said.

Petkov and Vassilev said on Facebook that 90 per cent of their
party's supporters had backed Radev. Continue the Change is
starting negotiations on cabinet formation with the Bulgarian
Socialist Party, There Is Such a People and Democratic Bulgaria
on November 23. RY/DD    




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