Bulgaria's Election Watchdog Confirms Petar Kurumbashev Will Be MEP

Petar Kurumbashev will gain a seat as member of the European Parliament after Iliana Iotova assumes the Bulgarian Vice President's duties this Sunday, the Central Election Commission has said.

Kurumbashev's name was the fourth on the Bulgarian Socialist Part (BSP) ticket for the EP elections in May 2014, when the BSP mustered enough support to send four lawmakers.

However, the socialist ticket was surprisingly topped by an unknown candidate due to a "mistake" committed by BSP voters as a result a newly introduced preferential voting arrangement.

This, combined with then BSP leader Stanishev's decision to keep his seat (despite having vowed not to do so as socialists were in the midst of a political crisis) dashed the hopes of Kurumbashev to become MEP.

Kurumbashev, who had left the Bulgarian Parliament in the eve of EU elections, stayed away from politics after the developments.

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