The submission process for registration documents of parties and coalitions for their participation in the October-held local elections has been kicked off. There is plenty of time, but the Bulgarians are interested in some things that are happening.

It looks like the local vote will be won by the governing GERB party. It has now mayors in 14 district cities and towns, hoping to have 16 or even 18 afterwards. Why is this party still so popular after two terms? Perhaps it is due to the incapability of its rivals to offer alternative options.

GERB will attack the elections on its own, but at some places it will use the support of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms /MRF/, from the current opposition. Shall those local level unions create preconditions for stronger ones at the central level is a logical, but also a tough question. GERB doesn’t seem to pay serious attention to the warnings that any union with the MRF means no good. The MRF itself has nothing to lose from its support for GERB as it will provide it outside the areas where it has strong positions and a certain victory.

The elements of the rightist coalitional partner – the Reformist Bloc scored insignificant results as independent players at the previous local polls. The big question now is whether the bloc will participate as one – a coalitional agreement is expected between its formations, but its signing is being delayed. Any bad performance at the forthcoming polls would prolong the state of decrepitude within the traditional rightist side of Bulgaria. Combined with the decrepitude of the leftist parties, it means power for the GERB one, determining itself as center-rightist.

So the whole picture is pretty vague and contradictory before the local polls. Besides that only 5 days before the registration’s start none of the parties has confirmed whether it will be a part of the simultaneous referendum on the online vote. It looks like now it is being treated as a periphery issue… 

English version: Zhivko Stanchev