Bulgaria Opposition Candidate Tops Presidential Poll
Faizan Hashmi Published November 07, 2016 | 02:10 PM
SOFIA, Nov 7, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 07th Nov, 2016 ) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's candidate for president appeared headed for defeat to a left-leaning opposition candidate in the first round of elections, official results confirmed Monday, setting up a tense November 13 runoff.
Tsetska Tsacheva won 22.0 percent of the vote behind Rumen Radev on 25.7 percent, the candidate of the opposition Socialists, the national election commission said on the basis of over two-thirds of votes counted.
The results were broadly in line with exit polls and projections released late Sunday. A defeat for Tsacheva would be an embarrassing setback for the centre-right Borisov, 57, the burly former police chief who has been premier since late 2014.
Borisov had said before Sunday's first round that he would resign and call fresh elections if Tsacheva, who is speaker of parliament, failed to beat former air force commander Radev in the first round.
But late Sunday Borisov rolled back on this, saying that he would throw in the towel if Tsacheva, 58, fails to be elected Bulgaria's first female head of state next Sunday. New elections could plunge the EU's poorest and arguably most corrupt country -- the average monthly salary is just 480 Euros ($535) -- into renewed political turmoil.
A victory for Radev could also see ex-communist Bulgaria, which has long walked a tightrope between Moscow and Brussels, tilt more towards Russia. He has called for EU sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine to be lifted.
"We have lost a lot by declaring Russia more or less an enemy," the 53-year-old MiG ace said in a recent radio interview. Radev has also said however that "a necessary improvement in relations with Russia doesn't mean a retreat from Euro-Atlantic values." The job of Bulgarian president is largely ceremonial but he or she is still a respected figure with some powers.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From World
-
NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Cap helmets in games
5 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga table
5 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A result
5 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga results
5 hours ago -
US troops to leave Chad in second African state withdrawal
5 hours ago -
Plastics pollution may be solved without production cap: Canada minister
5 hours ago
-
Biden stalls on menthol cigarette ban fearing Black vote backlash
5 hours ago -
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
5 hours ago -
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
6 hours ago -
Taiwan hit by several quakes, strongest reaching 6.1-magnitude
6 hours ago -
'Ballistic' Bairstow stars as Punjab pull off record T20 chase
6 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 2nd update
6 hours ago