SOFIA (Bulgaria), November 14 (SeeNews) – If early elections were held in Bulgaria now, governing centre-right GERB party would win 31.1% of the vote, while main opposition Socialists would come in close second with 28.9%, a poll showed on Monday.
Two other parties would cross the 4% threshold to enter parliament - nationalist Patriotic Front (PF) coalition, with 6.8%, and Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), which represents mainly ethnic Turks and Muslims, with 5.8%, according to the results of the poll commissioned by broadcaster Nova TV and conducted by Gallup International Balkan. The PF supports the current minority coalition government of GERB and its juinior partner right-wing Reformist Bloc but has no cabinet ministers. MRF, the second biggest opposition force in the current parliament, was part of several government coalitions with the Socialists in the past.
GERB leader and prime minister Boyko Borissov on Monday submitted to parliament the resignation of his minority coalition cabinet formed in 2014 after GERB candidate in the presidential elections, parliament speaker Tsetska Tsacheva, suffered a crushing defeat from Socialist-backed former Air Force commander Rumen Radev seen as friendly to Moscow in the run-off vote held on Sunday.
Borissov's move opens the way for holding early parliamentary elections next year.
In a letter to the MPs Borissov said that his coalition cabinet will continue to perform its functions until a new government takes over and will ensure continuity in the governing of the country.
Around 6.2% of the people polled by Gallup International Balkan said they do not support any of the current political parties.
As many as 46.8% of the respondents answered that they don't think early elections are necessary, while 36.7% said they think early elections are needed. Around 16.5% answered that they were undecided.