Bulgarians hold 3rd election this year as infections surge

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarians voted Sunday to elect a new parliament and a new president amid a surge of coronavirus infections that has not been helped by the country's political deadlock.

After inconclusive general elections in April and July, many hope the third attempt to elect 240 lawmakers will result in a government that can lead the European Union’s poorest member out of its health and economic crises.

Some 6.7 million voters were eligible. The Central Election Commission said voter turnout was nearly 26% by 4 p.m., lower than in previous elections.

The Balkan country has the lowest vaccination rate in the 27-nation EU, with less than one-third of its adults fully vaccinated. Last week, it reported 334 COVID-related deaths in a single day, a pandemic record.

A low turnout would favor the former ruling GERB party. In recent months, however, investigations by the current caretaker government into alleged corruption during ex-Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s tenure in are limiting his chances of finding coalition partners for a possible fourth four-year term in the past 12 years.

President Rumen Radev, a vocal critic of Borissov who is running for a second five-year term, said Sunday that he voted for freedom, legality, and justice.

“These are the values I stand for,” he said after casting his ballot. “The stakes are huge and will determine whether the process of consolidating statehood will continue or those acting from behind the scenes will regain institutional power.”

The new centrist party We Continue the Change is tipped by pollsters as a possible kingmaker in a future coalition as it pledged to reach out to groups from different sides of the political spectrum who have been part of last year anti-corruption protests. Political analysts say We Continue the Change, created by the previous caretaker government’s ministers of economy and finance, could come in at least second place and will likely be at the core of Bulgaria's new government.

Founded only few weeks ago by two Harvard graduates, Kiril Petkov, 41, and Asen Vasilev, 44, the party has quickly won wide support due to their resolute anti-graft actions and pledges to bring transparency, zero tolerance for corruption and reforms in key sectors.

“I voted for changes to continue, I voted because I think that Bulgaria can do more,” Petkov said Sunday.

In Bulgaria's presidential election, 23 candidates are running for the largely ceremonial post. Radev, a supporter of last year’s anti-corruption protests, is predicted to capture slightly under the 50% needed for an outright victory. If so, there will be a runoff vote on Nov. 21, most likely against his main competition, university professor Anastas Gerdzhikov.