With 95% of protocols counted, Gyurov closes in as Vasilev urges voters not to back Yotova
Yotova has 34.6% and Gyurov 32.04%, a gap of about 37,500 votes. Fourth-placed Radostin Vasilev of MECh tells supporters to vote for Gyurov or stay home.
Archive image · Photo: President.bg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 bg (cropped and resized)
With 95.29% of polling station protocols processed, the ticket of Iliana Yotova and Kiril Valchev had 34.6% in the first round of Bulgaria's presidential election, while Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev had 32.04%. Central Election Commission data cited by News.bg put the tally at 506,628 votes to 469,143, a gap of about 37,500. At 84.57% of protocols, Gyurov had stood at 31.9%. Kostadin Kostadinov of Vazrazhdane was third with 12.6%.
Gyurov won in Sofia's three constituencies, in Plovdiv and among voters abroad, where he led Yotova 45.2% to 23.1%, according to Mediapool. The runoff is scheduled for Nov. 1. Turnout was very low, expected at just over 20%, and the final figure has yet to be published.
Fourth-placed Radostin Vasilev of the MECh party, with 4.6%, said on election night he would advise his voters to follow their conscience, "but under no circumstances vote for Iliana Yotova." They could choose between voting for Gyurov or staying home, he said, adding that if Yotova lost, Bulgaria would face early parliamentary elections. Speaking to BNT, he blamed the low turnout mainly on disappointment with the Progressive Bulgaria government.