Progressive Bulgaria is first in the early election results but had expected a better showing, Petar Vitanov, head of the party's parliamentary group, told BNT. He thinks most people expect the decisive clash to come in next week's runoff.
Vitanov called first place "not a bad start" and said the biggest conclusion is still to come. The runoff needs maximum mobilisation, he said. The other camp, which is second for now, has got its voters out better.
Vitanov gave three reasons for the low turnout: a dirty campaign, Yotova's voters being misled by the big gaps early on, and calls by some political leaders for people to stay home. Of the campaign he said: "This dirty campaign – I haven't seen a muddier one in 20 years, and it put voters off."
Vitanov conceded that the party perhaps should have taken a more responsible approach and called on people to vote as early as the first round.
In many places there are whole polling stations without a single voter, and whole towns and villages are staging something like a boycott. Vitanov rejected the claim that the detention of mayors is the cause. He said people from a certain ethnic group and party were encouraged to stay away because of expected bargaining, but not with Progressive Bulgaria. In his view, the calls not to vote came before any search for political deals.
Vitanov described the choice as one between "normality or abnormality". Asked whether the party will seek support from other parties for the runoff, he said Progressive Bulgaria will seek it from every Bulgarian citizen.