by Atanas Tsenov
In Bulgaria, the Gerb conservatives,
the party of former premier Boyko Borissov, again won today's
early elections, their seventh in three years, although they
once again appear to lack a sufficient majority to govern.
Indeed, from the first results released by exit polls, new
difficulties are looming for the formation of a stable
government, with a Parliament that remains highly fragmented.
Many analysts and observers believe that today's vote has by no
means resolved the now chronic political crisis in Bulgaria.
Predictions of a clear victory for the Gerb, whose leader
Borissov previously ruled Bulgaria for nearly a decade, are
confirmed. According to Gallup exit polls, the Gerb would garner
25.2 percent of the vote, distancing by about 10 percentage
points the second political force, the liberal party 'Let's
Continue the Change' (Pp, 15.7 percent of the vote), on the
crest of a wave in past years as the Gerb's main antagonist.
Advancing is the nationalist Vazrazhdane ('Rebirth') party,
which, from fourth force in the previous June elections, would
now rank third with 14.1 percent of the vote. It is followed by
six other political formations-including Socialists, Turkish
Minority, and Populists-whose percentages range between 8
percent and 4 percent of the vote, the threshold to pass to
enter parliament. Numbers in hand, Bulgarians are sending
virtually the same political forces to Parliament as in the
previous legislation although with different numbers of seats
and with the addition of two small new populist parties:
'Velicie' ('Greatness') and 'Mec' (an acronym for 'Morality,
Unity, Honor'). Borissov's Gerb has regularly won several early
parliamentary elections but has never managed to form a stable
government. "We will make every compromise to have a stable
government this time," Borissov promised during the election
campaign. There is a glimpse in these words of his intention to
form a Euro-Atlantic coalition, even resorting to his opponents
such as the liberals of the Pp, the populists of the Itn ('There
is a people like this') and, why not, even the socialists,
whatever it takes. Considering that Bulgaria represents a
strategic country on NATO's eastern flank, any executive loyal
to the Alliance would do, several observers note. Very low,
reflecting the growing distrust of voters in politics and a
tiredness of continuous elections, was the turnout today, which,
according to exit polls from various agencies, hovers between 33
percent and 38 percent of voters, not far from the 34 percent of
the vote last June, an all-time low since the fall of communism
in the Balkan country.
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