Sofia Mayor Secures Re-election with 53.43% - Final Results

29.10.2007

Sofia incumbent mayor Boyko Borissov won re-election by a landslide on Sunday after securing 53.43% of the vote, shows data with 100% of the election protocols in the capital processed.

A total of 202 800 citizens of the Bulgarian capital cast their vote for the popular mayor Borissov, who describes himself as centre-right.

Former deputy central bank governor and rightist candidate Martin Zaimov came in second with 17,77% (67 454 ballots), while Bulgaria's former top spy and Socialist runner Brigo Asparuhov ranked third with 15,48% (58 774 ballots).

Nationalist Ataka party nominee Slavi Binev came in fourth with 4.02%, while ex-king Simeon Saxe-Couburg's NMSP candidate Antonia Parvanova won 2.55%, according to the final results.

Borissov, a former bodyguard to communist dictator Todor Zhivkov, was appointed secretary-general of the Interior Ministry in 2001 after ex-king Simeon Saxe-Coburg won the parliamentary elections and took charge of the cabinet.

He has immediately won numerous supporters with his direct and uncompromising style, as well as his tough stance on organised crime, but his opponents accuse him of being too brash and lacking expertise.

Borissov took over from long-serving mayor Stefan Sofianski two years ago, having won the by-election called when Sofianski decided to make the step up and become an MP after ten years at the helm of the city.

Borissov failed to deal with some of the city's biggest problems, such as garbage collection or congested traffic, for which he blamed the constant skirmishes with his municipal council, where the Socialists have a majority of seats and the mayor himself barely any support.

Even though that stands to change with GERB poised to win a plurality of seats, Borissov has repeatedly hinted he sought to knock the Socialists out of power and has not committed himself to seeing out his second term.

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