9 Bulgarian Cities Elect Mayors at 1st Round - Exit Poll

Bulgaria's ruling GERB have received 38% of the local vote, followed by the opposition left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, with24%. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria's ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party has collected the most votes in Sunday's local elections according to exit polls and the first results from the Central Electoral Commission's, CEC, ballot counting.

GERB have received 38% of the local vote, followed by the opposition left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, with 24% and the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, with 6.7%

GERB had won the mayoral seats at first round in four regional centers - the capital Sofia, and the cities of Burgas, Gabrovo and Dobrich, BSP has a mayor in Shumen, the nationalist VMRO NIE – in Montana, DPS – in Kardzhali while independent candidates will become mayors of the cities of Pazardzhik and Kyustendil.

In Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova from GERB, was reelected as mayor with 51.5% of the votes against 22.2% for the BSP nomination, Georgi Kadiev.

In the Black Sea city of Burgas, current GERB Mayor, Dimitar Nikolov, scored an overwhelming victory at first round with 70% of the vote against 11% of the runner up – Valeri Simeonov, nominated by the newborn far-right, nationalist Party National Front for Saving Bulgaria, and owner of Scat TV.

In the city of Dobrich current Mayor, Detelina Nikolova, from GERB won with 65.5% against Emiliya Dobreva from BSP with 13.9%.

In Shumen, Krasimir Kostov, from BSP, has won against Dimitar Aleksandrov from GERB.

The new Mayor of Gabrovo is Tanya Hristova from GERB.

In the city of Kardzhali which has a high percentage of ethnic Turkish population, the DPS Mayor, Hassan Azis, has most likely secured a third term in office with 54.5% against GERB's Iliya Iliev with 20.8%. The first exit polls there were forecasting a runoff between the two, which would have been a historic breakthrough since DPS is traditionally winner in areas populated by minorities.

In Montana current Mayor from the nationalist VMRO NIE, Zlatko Zhivko, has won against the GERB nomination, Lyudmil Krastev.

In Kyustendil, the independent candidate, endorsed by Coalition for Kyustendil, Petar Paunov, has a convincing lead of 56% against GERB's Nikola Tatarliev with 20%.

Another convincing victory of an independent candidate was scored in the city of Pazardzhik by Todor Popov, who earned 70% of the vote, against the BSP candidate, Rumen Petkov, with 12.3%.

A runoff in the mayoral elections will be held, however, in the majority of the country's largest cities and regional centers (18 of a total of 27) such as Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Pleven, Blagoevgrad, Sliven, Vidin, Stara Zagora, among others.

In the second largest city of Plovdiv, the current Mayor from the nationalist VMRO NIE party, Slavcho Atanasov, with 26.8%, is going to a runoff against the GERB candidate and current Regional Governor, Ivan Totev, with 32.5%.

In the Black Sea capital of Varna the current Mayor, who was previously endorsed by BSP, and now by GERB, Kiril Yordanov, with 28.7% will face businessman, owner of pharmacies chain, and independent candidate, Veselin Mareshki.

In Stara Zagora, Zhivko Todorov from GERB will face BSP's Boycho Bivolraski; in Veliko Tarnovo – Daniel Panov from GERB will run against Nikola Iliev from BSP; in Pleven the battle will be between Dimitar Stoykov from GERB and Nayden Zelenogosrki, who is the current Mayor of the city from the right-wing Blue Coalition; in Smolyan there is a very narrow margin between GERB's Nikolay Melemov and BSP's Dora Yankova.

The controversial Mayor of Sliven and football legend, Yordan Lechkov, endorsed by GERB, is second and will face Gen. Kolio Milev from BSP; another controversial GERB nomination, the current Mayor of Yambol, Georgi Slavov, is going to run Sunday against Marieta Sivkova from BSP.

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