Bulgaria's Ruling GERB Defeat Socialists 14:8 in Mayors Tally - Final Results

The ruling party’s victories in the presidential and local elections strengthen the hand of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov (pictured) ahead of a general election in 2013. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgarian voters have given the ruling center-right GERB party an overwhelming majority of mayors in regional capitals throughout the country, nearly twice as many as those won by the opposition Socialists, final results have shown.

GERB, the party of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, won 14 of the cities and towns that serve as administrative centres of Bulgaria's regions, it emerged on Monday with 100% of the election ballots counted.

The Socialist runners and independent nominees backed by the party, previously a senior partner in the ruling three-way coalition, came out victorious from the mayoral battle in 8 of the cities and towns that serve as administrative centres of Bulgaria's regions.

The opposition ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), previously a junior partner in the ruling three-way coalition, won only one major town - their stronghold of Kardzhali, where the incumbent was re-elected in the first round of voting.

Runners, who were not supported by any of the three major parties, managed to clinch a mayoral race victories - all of them de facto re-elections - in the towns of Kyustendil, Montana, Pazardzhik and Haskovo.

The voters in fifteen administrative centers put their trust in the incumbent mayors for another term.

The ruling party’s victories in the presidential and local elections strengthen the hand of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov ahead of a general election in 2013, analysts say.

Following are the results of Bulgaria's tightly contested local elections 2011 in all 27 regional capitals:

1. Blagoevgrad

Atanas Kambitov (GERB) - 60.18%  vs Emil Kostidinov (BSP) - 39.82%

2. Burgas – mayor elected at first round

Dimitar Nikolov (GERB) - 70.86%  vs Valeri Simeonov (NFSB) -11.25%

3. Varna

Kiril Yordanov (GERB) - 59.50%     vs     Veselin Mareshki (IC) - 40.50%

4. Veliko Tarnovo

Daniel Panov (GERB) - 51.81%         vs            Nikolay Ilchev (BSP) - 48.19%

5. Vidin

Gergo Gergov (PA, backed by BSP) - 53.26%        vs        Vladimir Toshev (GERB) 46.74%

6. Vratsa

Nikolai Ivanov (IC, backed by BSP) - 52.94%    vs       Petya Avramova (GERB) - 47.06%

7. Gabrovo – mayor elected at first round

Tanya Hristova (GERB) - 57.67%                      vs            Veselin Peshev (BSP) - 18.63%

8. Dobrich – mayor elected at first round

Detelina Nikolova (GERB) - 63.90%             vs           Emilia Dobreva (BSP) - 15.29%

9. Kardzhali – mayor elected at first round

Hassan Azis (DPS) - 53.96%                  vs                      Ilia Iliev (GERB) - 20.65%

10. Kyustendil – mayor elected at first round

Petar Paunov (right-wing coalition) - 52.94%  vs   Nikolay Tatarliev (GERB) - 19.03%

11. Lovech

Mincho Kazandzhiev (BSP) - 52.10%      vs           Kornelia Marinova (GERB) - 47.90%

12. Montana

Zlatko Zhivkov (VMRO-NIE) - 54.59%       vs           Lyudmil Krastev (GERB) - 25.07%

13. Pazardzhik – mayor elected at first round

Todor Popov (IC) - 69.01%             vs             Rumen Petkov (BSP) - 13.22%

14. Pernik

Rositsa Yanakieva (BSP) - 52.94%         vs            Irena Sokolova (GERB) - 47.06%

15. Pleven

Dimitar Stoykov (GERB) - 50.35%          vs           Nayden Zelenogorski (BND) - 49.65%

16. Plovdiv

Ivan Totev (GERB) - 50.84%         vs                              Slavcho Atanasov (PA) - 49.16%

17. Razgrad

Dencho Boyadzhiev (BSP) - 53.95%              vs       Valentin Vassilev (GERB) - 46.05%

18. Ruse

Plamen Stoilov (GERB) - 54.89%     vs   Iskren Veselinov (Blue coalition, VMRO) - 45.11%

19. Silistra

Yulian Naydenov (GERB) - 56.51%         vs          Sabanov Alexander (KP) - 43.49%

20. Sliven

Nikola Milev, BSP - 56.72% Jordan Lechkov, GERD - 43.28%

21. Smolyan

Nikolay Melemov (GERB) - 52.92%          vs          Dora Yankova (BSP) - 47.08%

22. Sofia-city – mayor elected at first round

Yordanka Fandakova (GERB) - 53.31%           vs        George Kadiev (BSP) - 22.27%

23. Stara Zagora

Zhivko Todorov (GERB) - 67.12%        vs          Boycho Bivolarski (BSP) - 32.88%

24. Targovishte

Krasimir Mirev (BSP) - 78.90%              vs            Tuncher Kurdzhaliev (DPS) - 21.10%

25. Haskovo

Georgi Ivanov (KP) - 60.32%         vs        Ivan Panayotov (GERB) - 39.68%

26. Shumen – mayor elected at first round

Krassimir Kostov (BSP) - 52.38%        vs          Dimitar Alexandrov (GERB) - 35.30%

27. Yambol

Georgi Slavov (GERB) - 55.18%       vs       Marieta Sivkova (BSP) - 44.82%

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