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Bulgaria votes in snap parliamentary election Bulgaria 'set for stalemate as right denied majority in poll'
(about 17 hours later)
Bulgarians are voting in a snap election, following the resignation of a Socialist-led government in July. Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party is set to win snap elections but will fall well short of an overall majority in parliament, exit polls suggest.
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. The party led by former PM Boyko Borisov is expected to win about 90 seats in the 240-seat chamber.
Its main rivals are the Socialists (BSP) and the ethnic-Turkish DPS party. Main rivals the Socialists (BSP) and the ethnic-Turkish DPS party are likely to have 70-90 seats between them.
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 EU, has been hit by protests over low living standards and by a bank crisis.
Correspondents say that, with some four smaller parties expected to overcome the 4% threshold, a highly fragmented parliament will make forming a government even more difficult.
Reuters news agency quoted Mr Borisov as saying he could not see how a government could be formed but would hold internal party discussions on Monday to decide how to proceed.
Pipeline controversyPipeline 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. The snap election follows the resignation in July of the country's Socialist-led government.
"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 ex-PM Plamen Oresharski's administration 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.