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| Centre-right GERB party ahead after Bulgaria election | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party has won most votes in a snap parliamentary election but fell well short of an overall majority, exit polls suggest. | |
| The party led by former PM Boyko Borisov is expected to win about 90 seats in the 240-seat chamber. | The party led by former PM Boyko Borisov is expected to win about 90 seats in the 240-seat chamber. |
| Main rivals the Socialists (BSP) and the ethnic-Turkish DPS party are likely to have 70-90 seats between them. | 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 EU, has been hit by protests over low living standards and by a bank 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. | 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. |
| Mr Borisov said after the poll: "I am ready to take all the risks to govern the country." | |
| But he admitted that it would be very difficult to form a government without coalition partners. | |
| Pipeline controversy | Pipeline controversy |
| The exit polls suggested that Mr Borisov's party secured about 33% of the vote, while the Socialists had 16%. | |
| Official results are expected on Monday. | |
| The snap election follows the resignation in July of the country's Socialist-led government. | The snap election follows the resignation in July of the country's Socialist-led government. |
| 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 ex-PM Plamen Oresharski's administration 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. |