Bulgaria tries to overcome political crisis

The peaceful conducting of the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria on Sunday shows that all parties and voters in the countries are trying to overcome the political crisis starting early 2013.

With some 94 percent of ballots counted, Bulgaria's Central Electoral Committee announced Monday that the GERB party won 32.6 percent of the vote, followed by Bulgarian Socialist Party with 15. 29 percent, and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) -- 14. 91 percent.

Five other parties got the rest of votes, separately 8.91 percent for the Reformers Bloc, 7.29 percent for the Patriotic Front, 5.65 percent for Bulgaria without Censorship, 4.54 percent for Ataka party, and 4.18 percent for ABV coalition.

Although GERB, which ruled Bulgaria from July 2009 to March 2013, won the early parliamentary elections with at least 85 lawmakers in the 240-seat parliament, voters didn't back it enough to form a cabinet alone.

Commenting on the result, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said he wanted to rule, but so far he has not actually seen a suitable coalition partner for a stable government. He did not rule out the possibility of seeking new early parliamentary elections.

However, Meglena Kuneva, head of Movement Bulgaria for the Citizens, which is a part of the Reformers Bloc, told a press conference: "If GERB again fails to form a government, although it is the first political force, then something is wrong."

Indeed, Kolyo Kolev, director of Mediana Polling Agency, predicting the elections result with great accuracy, told Xinhua on Friday that "the winners will have to play a very difficult dance in an attempt to compile a parliamentary majority, requiring diplomacy, ability to search for compromise, and dialogue."

On Sunday night, political analyst Ognyan Minchev said that the great outwitting season has started, but the political forces with certain similarities could show sufficient persistence and create a coalition government.

Adding more intrigue to the game, MRF leader Lyutvi Mestan said conducting never-ending elections was the most irresponsible solution but almost all the other parliamentary forces, including GERB, declared refraining from future coalition with his party.

Political analyst Parvan Simeonov told Radio "Focus" that Bulgaria's major political parties did not want new early elections, for three reasons. "First, the country needs to carry out harsh reforms; second, everyone wants in this situation to share the responsibility; and the third, our society is extremely exhausted of elections," Simeonov elaborated. Enditem