Bulgaria election heads to a run-off amid low voter turnout
Bulgarians will now choose between President Iliana Yotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov next week.
Bulgaria’s presidential election is heading to a run-off after polls closed with low voter turnout and no candidate passing the required threshold.
Incumbent President Iliana Iotova received between 35 and 36.5 percent of votes on Sunday, according to exit polls. She will now face former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who scored between 31 and 33.5 percent, in a second round on November 1.
Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev said the elections “took place peacefully, without the usual practices of vote buying and vote manipulation”, Bulgarian National Television reported.
Leftist Iotova is backed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whose Progressive Bulgaria party enjoyed success in April’s parliamentary elections. Iotova became president in January after serving as vice president.