SOFIA (Bulgaria), November 11 (SeeNews) – Rumen Radev, the candidate of opposition Socialist party in the Bulgarian presidential elections, holds a lead of 10.5-11.0% over governing centre-right GERB party’s candidate Tsetska Tsacheva before the run-off on November 13, two separate polls show on Friday.
Support for Radev is seen at 51% against 40% for Tsacheva, according to a poll conducted by Gallup International Balkan on November 8-9 among 867 people.
Another poll conducted by Alpha Research shows similar results. Around 49.6% of the respondents are expected to vote for Rumen Radev, while support for Tsacheva is seen at 39.1%. The poll was conducted in the period 9-10 of November among 1,100 voters.
The results of both polls show that Tsacheva would draw the majority of the voters who in the first round cast ballots for Traycho Traykov, the candidate of GERB's junior partner in the governing coalition, the right-wing Reformist Bloc (RB). Traykov received the support of 5.87% in the first round of the elections held on November 6, according to final results.
Both polls indicate that most of the people who voted for Krassimir Karakachanov, candidate of nationalist Patriotic Front coalition and Ataka party, are going to vote for Radev. Karakachanov came third in the first round with 14.97% of the vote.
Figures from the poll conducted by Alpha Research also show that most of the people, who voted for the fourth-placed in the first round businessman Veselin Mareshki, will vote for Rumen Radev, while according to Gallup those voters will be evenly split between the two candidates in the run-off. Mareshki received 11.17% of the votes in the first round.
The poll conducted by Alpha Research expects 90% of those who voted for former prime minister Plamen Oresharski and 80% of those who voted for Ivaylo Kalfin, would vote for Rumen Radev in the run-off. Oresharski won 6.63% in the first round, while Kalfin received 3.28% of the votes.
Both polls suggest a lower voter turnout in the runoff compared to the first round of presidential elections. According to partial turnout figures posted on the website of the Central Election Commission, 3.08 million people, or 45.1% of all eligible voters had cast ballots by 5 p.m., three hours before polling stations closed on November 6.