Bulgarian Socialist Party leader pours scorn on Borissov’s claim of ‘unprecedented victory’ in local elections
Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Kornelia Ninova has poured scorn on claims by GERB party leader and Prime Minister Boiko Borissov of “unprecedented victory” in the local elections, saying that support for his party was ebbing and for hers was growing.
Ninova was speaking at a news conference on October 29, two days after the vote in mayoral and municipal elections across Bulgaria, to which in many places there will be sequels in run-off elections on November 3.
She said that the BSP had gained about 100 000 votes in support for its mayoral candidates compared with the 2015 local elections, while support for its municipal council candidates had risen by about 50 000 votes.
This had happened “in spite of the repression, the compromises and whole state machine against (BSP) candidates everywhere in the country,” Ninova said.
She said that in spite of Borissov’s claim of “unprecedented victory” over the BSP – which he made in a comment to journalists on election night after polls closed – GERB had not repeated several of its first-round victories of four years ago and in Sofia, for the first time in 14 years, was having to compete in a second-round mayoral election.
Ninova said that before the second-round votes, the BSP would hold talks with all parties except GERB.
“We will seek local coalitions and support from parties, partners and civic organisations to change the status quo on the ground,” she said.
(Photo of Ninova: bsp.bg)
Bulgaria’s 2019 local elections: Factfile
