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Bulgaria 'seizes illegal ballot papers' on eve of election Bulgaria: Polls due to open in parliamentary election
(about 4 hours later)
Bulgarian officials say they have seized 350,000 illegal ballot papers a day before parliamentary elections. Parliamentary elections are due to begin in Bulgaria with opinion polls predicting no outright winner.
Prosecutors said the ballots were found at a printing house owned by a member of the centre-right Gerb party. Mass protests against low living standards and widespread corruption forced the government of the centre-right Gerb party to resign in February.
Gerb lost power in February after protests against low living standards and widespread corruption. However, the run-up to Sunday's election has been marked by voter apathy and claims of fraud.
No party is expected to win a majority in Sunday's vote, which will be closely monitored by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. On Saturday prosecutors said they had seized 350,000 illegal ballot papers at a printing house.
"Over 350,000 printed ballots, that were ready for use in the parliamentary elections, were found in stores of a printing house in Kostinbrod," the state prosecutor's office in the capital, Sofia, said in a statement. The election campaign had already been marred by revelations of illegal wiretapping of politicians.
The owner of the printing shop, a local councillor, denied any wrongdoing and said he had a licence to print ballots, Reuters reported. Latest opinion polls suggested the Gerb party - headed by former Prime Minister Boiko Borisov - and its main challenger the socialist BSP party were running neck-and-neck.
However, prosecutors said the number of ballots found on Friday were "outside the ordered amounts". Gerb has pledged to keep debts under control while the socialists say they will spend more and create jobs.
The statement said the overnight operation was carried out by agents of Bulgaria's State Agency for National Security (Dans) and prosecutors. Other parties expected to pass the 4% threshold needed to enter parliament are the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) - which represents Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish minority - the ultra-nationalist Ataka, and the centrist Bulgaria of the Citizens.
Sergei Stanishev, leader of the Socialist BSP party, said the discovery was "preparation for total falsification of the elections". However, the prospect of an election with no outright winner has raised fears of a hung parliament and further instability in the EU's poorest country.
He said that the 350,000 ballots "correspond to 10% of the expected turnout tomorrow and ensure about 25 lawmakers' seats". Bulgaria's 6.9 million eligible voters can choose between 36 parties but turnout is predicted to be below 50%.
"This is a scandal unseen in Bulgaria so far," he added. A day before the election, prosecutors revealed they had raided a printing house near the capital Sofia and seized 350,000 ballot papers that were printed over the legally fixed number.
The election campaign has already been marred by revelations of illegal wiretapping of politicians. BSP leader Sergei Stanishev described the discovery as a "scandal".
In all, 63 parties are fielding more than 8,000 candidates for places in the 240-seat National Assembly. He said it showed there had been "preparation for total falsification of the elections".
Bulgaria has 6.9 million registered voters. The election campaign has also been marred by revelations of illegal wiretapping of political opponents, with prosecutors pointing the finger at former Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.
Predictions that no party will win an outright majority have prompted fears of a hung parliament and further instability in the EU's poorest country. More than 250 international observers will monitor Sunday's election.