More Bulgarians Oppose Ruling Party President than Will Vote For - Poll

Bulgarian Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Rosen Plevneliev is the most likely presidential candidate of ruling center-right GERB for fall presidential elections. BGNES

The number of Bulgarians who think it is better for the country to have for president a candidate not nominated by the GERB ruling party is greater than that of those that will support the GERB candidate in the October 23 presidential elections.

According to the results of an opinion poll by the MBMD agency announced just hours before GERB finally officially announces its nominee Sunday afternoon, 37.3% of Bulgarians will rather not have a GERB president, while 31.2% have said they will vote for GERB.

The results of the research are in agreement with prior studies that show that the GERB candidate - no matter who he or she is - has by far the greatest chances of becoming Bulgaria's next president, with a mandate 2012-17.

Friday a number of media reported that Minister of Regional Development Rosen Plevneliev was spotted filming an election video, confirming rumors that he is GERB's most probable candidate.

According to the MBMD study, if nominated, Plevneliev will top the elections with 32.7%, increasing the general support of a GERB candidate by 1.5%.

Second is independently running ex-EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva with 15.7%, and third Bulgarian Socialist Party candidate, MEP Ivailo Kalfin at 12.3%.

The study however fails to take account of Bulgaria's smaller towns and countryside, being conducted in Sofia and regional centers, which nevertheless make for the vast majority of Bulgaria's population.

MBMD states that nationalist party Ataka leader will get 2% of the vote, rightist Blue Coalition candidate Rumen Hristov - 1.9%, and controversial businessman Alexei Petrov - some 1.5%.

Regarding the second round, opinion polls show that GERB's Plevneliev will get 33.6% of the vote if he faces Kuneva, who will achieve some 22%.

If Plevenliev has to face the socialist Kalfin, he would have a better showing of 41.3%, while Kalfin would get 14.2%.

Almost half of Bulgarians, 49.6% said they plan on voting, while 20.1% stated that they are certain to abstain.

Some 17.6% have not yet chosen the candidate they will support.

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