Krasimir Karakachanov

Bulgarian President-elect has turned down the invitation by incumbent Rosen Plevneliev to take part in the Consultative Council on National Security (KSNS) taking place on Tuesday.

Rumen Radev, who won the presidential election earlier this month, has said he cannot attend the council before having assumed his duties.

"We are ready to take over the government of the country. If there is agreement and readiness for an expert cabinet, the Patriotic Front is prepared to accept the mandate," stated the chairman of VMRO Krasimir Karakachanov after coming out of the Presidency.

The consultations between the Patriotic Front and President Plevneliev were the longest so far - a full hour and a half.

Given a decision on the part of Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev to hand over the third mandate for the forming of a government within the framework of the 43rd Parliament to the Patriotic Front, the mandate might not be returned immediately, but an attempt might be made to form a government, reported Denvnik daily.

Three of the main formations in Parliament - BSP, DPS and the Patriotic Front are delaying their final statements on the budget for 2017 which will be discussed at first reading in Parliament on Thursday.

So far, the draft budget has been approved by parliamentary commissions thanks to the votes of GERB and the Reformist Bloc.

BSP and DPS deputies are voting "against".

The independent candidate supported by BSP for President Rumen Radev receives the vote of 49.6% of the voters on the eve of the second round of elections on Sunday.

A total of 39.1% of voters will vote for GERB's candidate Tsetska Tsacheva, showed data of Alpha Research. 11.3% of the participants of the survey stated that they will not vote.

The candidate backed by Bulgaria's biggest opposition force is widening his lead on Tsetska Tsacheva, the contender of the main ruling party, the final count shows.

With 100% of ballot protocols processed, Rumen Radev's support is estimated at 25.43%, while Tsacheva has earned 21.96% of the vote, the Central Election Commission (CEC) says [BG].

For the first time in Bulgaria's post-communist history, a socialist-backed candidate has fared better in the capital Sofia than all other contenders in an election, election data shows.

Rumen Radev, the candidate supported by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) whose running mate is a long-time party member, has garnered 25.77% of the vote, with 99.32% of ballot protocols counted.

Bulgaria's second-largest opposition party DPS has said it throws its support behind the socialist-backed candidate in the presidential elections.

Rumen Radev has emerged as a winner of the first round, defeating Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's candidate Tsetska Tsacheva.

Rumen Radev, the socialist-backed candidate, is on the lead in the first round of Bulgaria's presidential elections, exit poll data shows.

Gallup Internatioinal has projected 24.9% support for Radev, while the candidate of the main ruling GERB party, Tsetska Tsacheva, has ranked second, having mustered 22%.

The Bulgarian national interest will be the core priority of the newly emerged nationalist coalition even after the presidential election, candidate Krasimir Karakachanov has said.