Gerb is not boycotting the presidential election and is not telling people how to vote, party leader Boyko Borisov said in Kyustendil.

Borisov said everyone decides for themselves whether to vote and who to vote for. Gerb gives no instructions to voters, mayors or party branches, he said. He will vote himself before election day ends.

In the run-offs, voters will make their own choice, he added. The party will not back candidates who have not asked for its support.

At a meeting of the "New Minds" academy in Kyustendil, Borisov presented a group he called Gerb's "shadow cabinet". Young people from across Bulgaria have been assigned to the areas covered by the current ministries, and more experienced party members work alongside them as mentors. In all, 96 people take part, and they are already drafting specific proposals on current issues.

Borisov said the teams are part of Gerb's long-term preparation to govern in future. At the next stage, the best performers in each area will be picked.