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Bulgaria elections head for ti

Bulgaria elections head for tight finish Partial results from Bulgaria's parliamentary election show a narrow lead for the centre-right Gerb party over its socialist rivals. With nearly 70% of the ballots counted, Gerb has 31.4% of the vote, followed by the BSP with 27.4%. But ex-PM Boiko Borisov has failed to win the election outright and must now try to form a coalition government. That is expected to be very difficult. Gerb resigned in February amid protests over living standards and corruption. Voter turnout was barely 50% and the run-up to the election was marked by voter apathy and claims of fraud. The BBC's Nick Thorpe in Sofia says more political uncertainty in the EU's poorest country looks likely as the main parties struggle to re-establish their claim to power. Bulgaria faces a major economic and social crisis, our correspondent says, with unemployment officially close to 12% but - unofficially - over 18%. 'Mafia' chants International observers are expected to give their verdict shortly on whether the election was conducted fairly. More than 250 of them monitored Sunday's election. Gerb has pledged to keep debts under control, while the socialists say they will spend more and create jobs. As polls closed, crowds gathered outside the election centre at the Palace of Culture in Sofia to protest against any new attempt by Gerb to form a new government. BSP leader Sergei Stanishev, left, and former PM Boiko Borisov have fought for every vote Protesters chanting "Mafia" were involved in brief scuffles with police, Bulgarian news agencies said. The results so far suggest Gerb will fall well short of a majority in the 240-seat parliament. In order to form a new government, it will need the support of parties that have already declared their opposition to another Borisov-led administration. Other parties expected to pass the 4% threshold needed to enter parliament are the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) - which represents Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish minority - and the ultra-nationalist Ataka. horrent

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