site.btaParties Register for European Elections at Central Election Commission

Sofia, April 5 (BTA) - The Central Election Commission opened the registration of parties for the May 26 European Parliament (EP) elections on Friday.

The first  to register were the ruling GERB party and the non-parliamentary Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), which will run together in the elections. The head of the GERB election campaign headquarters, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, was accompanied by UDF leader Roumen Hristov, Deputy Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev and representatives of GERB's youth organization.

Tsvetanov said that they had gathered 47,200 signatures within two days, which is more than the 2,000 signatures required for a registration. According to him, the list of 17 MEP candidates of GERB and the UDF is the most competent one. In his words, joined efforts are needed so that Bulgaria's voice can be heard in Europe.
 
Hristov told journalists that the election campaign will not be easy, and promised mobilization. He described his party's coalition with GERB as logical.

The second party to register for the European Parliament elections was the parliamentary Volya party led by Vesselin Mareshki. He told journalists that Volya will surely be one of the four Bulgarian formations to enter the next EP. Volya aims to have at least two MEPs, he added. The party has not yet announced who its top candidate is.

The deadline for registration at the Central Election Commission is April 10 for parties and April 15 for steering committees.