Bulgaria’s acting President Iotova leads in run-off exit polls
Iliana Iotova would become the nation’s first elected female president if results confirm her win on Monday.
Bulgaria’s acting President Iliana Iotova is leading the presidential election run-off, according to exit polls in the race overshadowed by drone attacks on ships off the country’s Black Sea coast.
Iotova, who advocates for dialogue with Moscow and opposes military aid to Ukraine, won just over half the vote in Sunday’s run-off, according to three exit polls, reported Bulgaria’s official news agency, BTA.
Iotova had 51 percent compared to about 44 percent for her rival, Andrey Gyurov, who is backed by the pro-Western opposition.
Petar Doitchinov, a 67-year-old retired engineer, said he had skipped the first round last week because he expected a run-off. He said he voted for “the lesser evil”, as neither candidate matched his “vision of democracy”.