Shocking Defeat for Bulgaria Socialists in Stronghold Smolyan - Exit Polls

Nikolay Melemov, nominated by the ruling center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, came out victorious with 54% of the votes. File photo

Smolyan, a town and ski resort in the very south of Bulgaria not far from the border with Greece, has surprisingly unseated its long-serving Socialist mayor, according to exit polls.

Dora Yankova, the incumbent mayor, who sought re-election for her third term, was defeated by the candidate of the ruling GERB party after managing to get 46% of the votes at the second round on Sunday.

Her rival Nikolay Melemov, nominated by the ruling center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, came out victorious with 54% of the votes.

As of February 2011, Smolyan has a population of 30,283 inhabitants. Seven candidates vied for the mayoral post in the town, a traditional stronghold of the Socialist Party.

The failure of the incumbent Socialist mayor Dora Yankova to win outright came as a shock for her and her party, not to mention her final defeat.

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