Twelve parties, five coalitions register for Bulgaria’s November 2016 presidential elections
All the political parties represented in Bulgaria’s National Assembly have registered to participate in Bulgaria’s November 2016 presidential elections, the Central Election Commission said after the registration period for parties and coalitions closed.
In all, 12 parties and five coalitions have registered.
Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s GERB and the opposition Movement for Rights and Freedoms, the third-largest group in Parliament, registered as parties.
The second-largest party in the National Asssembly, the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, is participating via an “initiative committee” backing Roumen Radev.
Socialist breakaway ABC, one of the two smallest parties in Parliament, is participating via a coalition, “Kalfin President”.
The National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria and VMRO – the constituent parties of the Patriotic Front – and Volen Siderov’s Ataka – the other of the two smallest parties in the National Assembly – are taking part in the presidential elections under the “United Patriots” coalition name.
The Reformist Bloc, which includes five political parties, has registered as a coalition, as have the extra-parliamentary Movement 21 and the National Movement for Stability and Progress.
An “initiative committee” is to back Vesselin Mareshki, a business person prominent in the pharmaceutical and motor fuels industries.
The Central Election Commission will by October 24 carry out checks of the parties’ and coalitions’ registration application documents.
Participants in the election have until 5pm on October 4 to submit the names of their candidates for President and Vice President.
CEC spokesperson Alexander Andreev said that registration to participate did not necessarily oblige parties and coalition to name candidates. However, candidates could not be named unless the parties and coalitions had registered with the coalition.
On November 6, Bulgarians are being called to the ballot boxes to vote for a successor to President Rossen Plevneliev, who has said that he is not available to stand as a candidate for a second term in office. The same day, a national referendum on three questions is being held.
Should no presidential candidate win 50+1 of the votes cast on November 6, a second round will be held on November 13.
