January 10 (SeeNews) - If early elections were held in Bulgaria now, the governing centre-right GERB party would win 24% of the vote, while main opposition Socialists would come in close second with 21.2% support, a poll showed on Tuesday.
Three other parties would cross the 4% threshold to enter parliament - nationalist Patriotic Front (PF) coalition (8%), Will party, led by businessman Veselin Mareshki (4.1%), and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), which represents mainly ethnic Turks and Muslims (4%), according to a survey commissioned by bTV private broadcaster and conducted by Market Links polling agency.
Bulgaria has been in a political deadlock since November following the resignation of the minority coalition government of GERB and their junior partner, right-wing Reformist Bloc, over the defeat of GERB’s candidate in the presidential elections. GERB, the Socialists and the Reformist Bloc all refused to form a new government within the current parliament, opening the way for early elections. President-elect Rumen Radev is expected to dissolve parliament and call early elections after he takes office later this month. The snap vote is likely to take place in April.
According to the results of the Market Links survey, the Reformist Bloc would win 3.1% of the vote if early elections were held now. One of the political parties within the RB, right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), which left the bloc after the presidential elections in November, would receive 1.2% support.
Yes, Bulgaria, a newly-established anti-corruption party, would also win 1.2% of the vote if elections were held now.
Left-wing Alternative for Bulgarian Revival (ABV) had 1% support in the poll.
The poll was conducted among 1,000 respondents in the period December 27 - January 5.