Bulgarians vote in tense election

SOFIA (AFP) Ñ Bulgarians voted yesterday in a tight and tense snap general election marred by accusations of fraud and expected to result in political stalemate in the EU’s poorest member.

Despite its ouster by massive public unrest just three months ago, the conservative GERB party of former bodyguard ex-premier Boyko Borisov was tipped to win the most votes.

Eve-of-ballot polls however showed GERB pulling just 29-35 percent support, suggesting a slim win that would bring them nowhere near a governing majority.

The socialist BSP party was also snapping at GERB’s heels on 25-32 percent, with some surveys putting them neckand-neck.

Whichever party comes first will face the tough task of finding at least two coalition partners in a severely fragmented parliament that might include up to five other parties.

These could include the ultra-nationalst Ataka party, the Turkish minority party MRF and potential kingmaker DGB, a new centrist party formed by ex-European commissioner Meglena Kuneva.

The campaign has focused more on a wiretapping scandal than on the grinding povertyÑ- almost a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line Ñ that so angered Bulgarians over the winter.

Six people have died after setting themselves on fire in protest or despair.

The failure by politicians to address ordinary Bulgarians’ top concern has added to apathy among the country’s 6.9 million voters, and to predictions that people will be out on the streets again before too long.

“We are also headed for fresh social protests,” Gallup analyst Zhivko Georgiev told state BNT television late Saturday. Voter turnout is expected to be around 50 percent.