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| Bulgaria votes in snap parliamentary election | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Bulgarians are voting in a snap election, following the resignation of a Socialist-led government in July. | |
| Opinion polls suggest the centre-right GERB party may win most of the votes but fall short of an overall majority in the 240-seat parliament. | Opinion polls suggest the centre-right GERB party may win most of the votes but fall short of an overall majority in the 240-seat parliament. |
| Its main rivals are the Socialists (BSP) and the ethnic-Turkish DPS party. | Its main rivals are the Socialists (BSP) and the ethnic-Turkish DPS party. |
| Bulgaria - the poorest country in the European Union - has been rocked by recent protests over low living standards and by a banking crisis. | Bulgaria - the poorest country in the European Union - has been rocked by recent protests over low living standards and by a banking crisis. |
| Pipeline controversy | Pipeline controversy |
| GERB, led by former PM Boiko Borisov is predicted to win the polls, but is likely to rely on smaller parties to be able to form a governing coalition. | GERB, led by former PM Boiko Borisov is predicted to win the polls, but is likely to rely on smaller parties to be able to form a governing coalition. |
| "Right now I don't see how and with whom to form a government," Mr Borisov was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency earlier this week. | "Right now I don't see how and with whom to form a government," Mr Borisov was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency earlier this week. |
| The splits in the Socialist-led government of now ex-PM Plamen Oresharski began to appear after the party's disastrous showing in the European Parliament elections in May. | The splits in the Socialist-led government of now ex-PM Plamen Oresharski began to appear after the party's disastrous showing in the European Parliament elections in May. |
| However, the rift with DPS, the former junior partner in the coalition, was seen as the main reason for the cabinet's resignation. | However, the rift with DPS, the former junior partner in the coalition, was seen as the main reason for the cabinet's resignation. |
| A controversy around the South Stream pipeline, meant to carry Russian gas to Western Europe via Bulgaria, also played a big part in the government's downfall. | A controversy around the South Stream pipeline, meant to carry Russian gas to Western Europe via Bulgaria, also played a big part in the government's downfall. |
| Mr Oresharski was criticised for moving ahead with construction of the pipeline, a project frowned upon by Brussels for breaching EU rules. | Mr Oresharski was criticised for moving ahead with construction of the pipeline, a project frowned upon by Brussels for breaching EU rules. |
| In June, shortly after the announcement that Bulgaria had stopped work on the project, the country witnessed a run on two of the country's largest banks that also heightened political uncertainty. | In June, shortly after the announcement that Bulgaria had stopped work on the project, the country witnessed a run on two of the country's largest banks that also heightened political uncertainty. |
| One of them, the Corporate Commercial Bank (CCB), was closed after panicked customers withdrew millions on their deposits. | One of them, the Corporate Commercial Bank (CCB), was closed after panicked customers withdrew millions on their deposits. |