(28 Oct 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sofia, Bulgaria – 28 October 2024
1. People walking on the street near Bulgarian an EU flags
2. Various people walking on the streets of central Sofia
3. Statue of a lion in front of Palace of Justice
4. General shots of Sofia streets as pedestrians walk
5. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Nikola Yankov, 18, Law student:
"Regarding the results of the last elections, I think there is nothing new to say compared to the previous six. I don’t think that a government will be formed, but I believe that "allegedly" as the statistics say, voter turnout has increased, and this is a small hope because the only way to deal with corruption is to actually exercise our right to vote. And who we support is subjective and secondary."
6.Wide view of the Parliament building
7. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Vassilia Spiridonova, student:
"The first and second places of the parties, in my opinion, are expected. I do not expect any change in Bulgaria neither in peoples’ lives."
8. Reflection of the Parliament building seen in a subway passage
9. Low angle view of National Assembly building
10. Various shots of newspapers displayed on a small street, close of newspapers showing election results
11. People walking past newspapers and magazines as a stray dog is seen sleeping
STORYLINE:
The center-right GERB party of ex-premier Boyko Borissov appeared to be the winner of Bulgaria’s parliamentary election, the country’s central electoral commission said on Monday, with 98% of the ballots counted.
Results showed the GERB party receiving 26.5% of the vote, nearly 12% more than the pro-Western reformist bloc led by the We Continue the Change party.
It could take days before the final official results are announced.
If confirmed, Borissov will be handed a mandate to form his fourth government.
In his first comment after the vote, Borissov described his party’s victory as “categorical” and said that he was ready to “compromise” to form a coalition with all other parties, but the far-right Vazrazhdane.
But it seems Borissov will face an uphill struggle to cobble together a governing coalition.
Political analysts predicted that the results, which do not differ significantly from the previous elections held within the last three years, will be followed by difficult coalition talks.
They don’t rule out another election.
Seven other parties also appear to have gained seats in the 240-seat chamber, according to the latest results.
Capitalizing on pro-Russian sentiments shared by many in this former communist nation, the far-right, ultra-nationalist and populist party Vazrazhdane demands that Bulgaria lift sanctions against Russia, stop helping Ukraine, and hold a referendum on its membership in NATO.
It came in third with 13.5% of the vote.
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which traditionally represented Bulgaria’s large ethnic Turkish minority, recently split into two rival factions, one around party founder Ahmed Dogan, and the other behind U.S.-sanctioned businessman and former media tycoon Delyan Peevski.
Both factions entered parliament – the first with 11%, and the latter with 7 percent of the vote.
The remaining seats in the chamber will be divided between 4 small populist and pro-Russian groups, among them the Socialist Party – heir of the once almighty Communist Party.
AP Video shot by Valentina Petrova
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