Sofia: The elections for President and Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria are set to take place on October 25, as determined by the National Assembly on Friday. The decision was passed with 138 votes in favor, no votes against, and seven abstentions.
According to Philippines News Agency, the votes supporting the election date came from Progressive Bulgaria, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), and Vazrazhdane. Seven members of parliament from the Continue the Change party chose to abstain, while GERB-UDF and Democratic Bulgaria (DB) opted not to participate in the voting process.
In the event that no candidate secures a majority, a run-off will occur on November 1. Article 93, paragraph 4 of the Bulgarian Constitution mandates that if no candidate is elected initially, a subsequent election must be conducted within seven days, featuring the two candidates who garnered the most votes. The candidate with the higher number of votes in the run-off will be elected.
The draft resolution for the election date was introduced by representatives from several parliamentary factions, including Petar Vitanov (Progressive Bulgaria), Tsoncho Ganev (Vazrazhdane), Denitsa Sacheva (GERB-UDF), and Nadezhda Yordanova (Democratic Bulgaria). The Constitution entrusts the responsibility of scheduling presidential elections to the National Assembly.
Democratic Bulgaria's Yordan Ivanov expressed concerns, suggesting that the date was chosen by those in power to address dwindling public trust. Furthermore, DB noted the potential inconvenience of holding the second round on November 1, a public holiday when schools and community centers are engaged in various events, which they felt was inappropriate.
Petar Vitanov, the Floor Leader of Progressive Bulgaria, mentioned that Democratic Bulgaria's representative had initially agreed to the date during preliminary discussions. He emphasized that the date was chosen after consultations with all parties, except Continue the Change, which did not endorse the joint decision.
Vitanov dismissed claims of authoritarianism, stating the date was selected to ensure favorable weather conditions, thereby facilitating higher voter turnout. He also refuted concerns about declining public trust, attributing them to isolated perceptions.
Ivanov clarified that the DB's Nadejda Yordanova signed the proposal as part of the standard political process dictated by the constitutional framework, which necessitates the holding of presidential elections. Ivanov affirmed DB's commitment to participating in the elections, regardless of the date.
