Bulgaria's Main Left-Wing Parties 'Close' to Joint Presidential Nominee

The deputy head of ABV party said Monday his organization and the socialist opposition BSP are close to raising a joint nomination for the upcoming presidential election.

At a press conference, Petkov reiterated his party was still proposing its leader, former President (2002-2012) and BSP leader Georgi Parvanov, with ex-Deputy PM Ivaylo Kalfin as his running mate.

Petkov, however, also spoke highly of Maj Gen Rumen Radev, the Bulgarian Air Force Commander whose name has repeatedly been mentioned by the socialists as a possible nominee and became one of the six official options before the talks with ABV.

Last week Parvanov, who had personally conferred on him the rank of General while serving as head of state, also praised his qualities, but did not endorse him outright.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the biggest opposition in Parliament, and Alternative for Bulgarian Revival (ABV) which splintered off the BSP in 2014, are in talks over a joint nominee. The result is expected to be announced on August 14.

A bone of contention has been whether to endorse a "partisan" or "non-partisan" candidacy.

Also on Monday, BSP MEP Iliana Iotova told the Bulgarian National Television her party was discussing either leader Korneliya Ninova or Rumen Radev as its potential nominee.

Ninova ruled herself out earlier this summer.

Presidential elections are due on November 06, but no major political party in Bulgaria has nominated a candidate as of the moment.

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