Bulgarians seek to end political deadlock in year's 3rd election

By Ihvan Radoykov

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AA) – Voters in Bulgaria will head to the polls on Sunday for the third time this year, hoping to break a deadlock that has seen two elections in April and July fail to form a government.

They will choose a president and vice president from 23 pairs of candidates, as well as decide who from 5,016 candidates nominated by 25 political parties and coalitions will get a spot in the country’s 240-member parliament.

For the first time in Bulgaria’s 32 years of democratic rule, a candidate of Turkish descent is in the running for the presidency – Mustafa Karadayi, head of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) party.

The MRF, which mostly has Turk and Muslim members, has also nominated European Parliament member Iskra Mihaylova for the post of vice president.

According to official figures, over 6.7 million – 6,708,189 – citizens are registered to vote at 11,643 polling stations in Bulgaria and 751 centers in 68 other countries.

Turkey, home to many dual Bulgarian nationals, has 58 polling stations for Sunday’s vote, while 86 polling centers have been established in the UK, which has one of the largest Bulgarian diaspora in the world.

A total of 11,936 electronic voting machines will be set up at centers in Bulgaria and abroad, with paper ballots to be used only in areas with a low number of registered voters.

As Bulgaria battles a worrying surge in coronavirus cases, authorities will also provide mobile ballot boxes for COVID-19 patients and at-risk groups.

- Runoff vote likely

Latest polls indicate an impending battle between two presidential candidates – incumbent Rumen Radev and his main challenger Anastas Gerdzhikov.

Radev, backed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), is the clear frontrunner, projected to bag some 46% of votes but still short of the 50% needed for victory.

Gerdzhikov, the rector of Sofia University, was nominated by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party.

He is expected to get just under 25% of votes in the first round, making a runoff vote on Nov. 21 a likely scenario.

MRF leader Karadayi may secure about 10% of votes, according to latest figures.

- Parliament positions

Polls suggest six parties could pass the 4% threshold to enter parliament, with the GERB ranking first with 23%.

The other five are the BSP, MRF, We Continue the Change, television entertainer Slavi Trifonov’s There Is Such a People party, and the right-wing Democratic Bulgaria.

Ultranationalist forces, who have relied on racist rhetoric and populist tactics for support, are expected to remain below the threshold.

Observers believe at least four parties may need to work together and form a coalition government.

Voter turnout is expected to slump further than the 42.19% recorded in the July polls, particularly due to the worsening COVID-19 situation and the political bickering that Bulgarians have seen after the previous two elections this year.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara