Several political parties and coalitions in Bulgaria demanded on October 4 the full or partial cancellation of the October 27 snap general election over hundreds of reports of irregularities and breaches of the law.

Since the vote there have been growing calls for a recount amid allegation of vote buying and electoral fraud. This is believed to have primarily favoured DPS – New Beginning led by Magnitsky-sanctioned Delyan Peevski, which came fourth despite Peevski’s very low popularity rating. The election winner Gerb is also alleged to have benefitted from violations of election procedure. 

Among the multiple accusations of fraud, video recordings from the vote count show members of electoral teams at one polling station were throwing ballots out replacing them with different ones, predominantly favouring Gerb and DPS – New Beginning. 

The first request came from the civil organisation BOEC, which submitted it to all institutions that can refer it to the constitutional court.

Later on the same day, Change Continues-Democratic Bulgaria – the second-largest formation in parliament – also said that it will submit a request to the constitutional court to order a recount of all the ballots and will support all political formations requesting the cancellation of the vote due to numerous irregularities.

CC-DB has also sought to persuade all the other formations in the new parliament to agree not to work with Peevski’s DPS – New Beginning. 

“Peevski spent a lot of money to buy elections, but now he understands that there is no way there is a government in which he is in charge. The investment is on fire!!!” wrote CC leader and former prime minister Kiril Petkov on Facebook. 

Peevski’s formation is one of two rival factions formed after the split of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS). The other one, led by the party’s chairman of honour Ahmed Dogan, will enter parliament under the name Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS).

On October 4, APS said that it will back CC-DB’s request for a recount, as well as any other request to recount the ballots.

Far-right Vazrazhdane, the third-largest formation in parliament, as well as populist There Are Such People (ITN) also said they want a full or partial recount, while the SWORD party also requested a full recount.

Gerb’s leader, three-times former prime minister Boyko Borissov, did not back the requests for a recount, saying it would not change anything.

Borissov is understood to be waiting for the outcome of the US presidential election before announcing his plans.

Meanwhile, President Rumen Radev said he will call the new parliament’s first session for November 11 to give parties enough time to reach agreement on the main issues, including the requests for a recount and the election of a parliament speaker.