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Amid corruption worries, Bulgaria votes in second national election in 3 months
Bulgaria's current caretaker government has made public allegations of widespread corruption during the Borissov regime, claim that has also been repeated by global actors against the NATO and EU member-nation.
Bulgaria votes on Sunday in a snap poll that could further drop approval ratings for ex-prime minister Boyko Borissov's GERB party, after a previous election in April produced a fragmented parliament that failed to form a viable coalition government. The current election rerun could produce similar results as the last time, the latest opinion polls suggest, amid widespread corruption and deficiencies in the rule of law and media freedom in the country.
Bulgaria's current caretaker government has made public allegations of widespread corruption during the Borissov regime, claim that has also been repeated by global actors against the NATO and EU member-nation.
The anti-corruption campaign of Borissov's opponents was additionally boosted by the sanctions the US Treasury imposed last month against several Bulgarian public officials and business leaders for corruption.
Polls suggest a tight race between Borissov's party, which came first in April with over 26% of the vote, and its main rival, the anti-elite There is Such a People, led by popular TV entertainer Slavi Trifonov.
The opposition Socialist Party is tipped to rank third, followed by the liberal anti-corruption group Democratic Bulgaria and the ethnic Turkish MRF party.
The new center-left alliance 'Stand Up! Mafia Out!' emerged after last year's anti-government protests and is projected to pass the 4% hurdle to enter parliament.
According to political analyst Dimitar Ganev, there are few chances for Borissov to return to the office for a fourth term regardless of whether the GERB finishes first in the election because most political groups have rejected the idea of cooperating with the ex-ruling party.
The 12,000 polling stations close at 8 pm. There are 6.7 million eligible voters who are electing 240 lawmakers. Preliminary results are expected around midnight Sunday.
