PABSEC Participation in the Observation of the Presidential Elections in the Republic of Bulgaria, 24–25 October 2026
On 24–25 October 2026, a PABSEC delegation composed of Ms. Sofia Voultepsi, PABSEC Vice-President and Head of the PABSEC Hellenic delegation, Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, and Ms. Pavlina Lozanova, Adviser to the PABSEC Secretary General – Press Secretary, participated in the observation of the presidential elections in the Republic of Bulgaria. On 24 October 2026, the PABSEC delegation met with members of the Central Election Commission of Bulgaria. During the meeting, the delegation was briefed on the national electoral legislation and the responsibilities of the Central Election Commission in ensuring the proper organisation and conduct of the electoral process. On election day, 25 October 2026, the PABSEC delegation visited several polling stations in the Pazardzhik and Sofia, where it observed voting procedures and the work of the election commissions. At the polling stations visited, the delegation noted that voting was conducted in an orderly manner, in accordance with national electoral legislation, and that no violations were recorded. The delegation also visited the District Election Commission in Pazardzhik, where it met with members of the Commission to discuss the organisation and conduct of the elections at the regional level. A total of 27 candidate pairs stood for the election as President and Vice-President of the Republic of Bulgaria. Preliminary exit-poll estimates indicated that the candidate pair of Ms. Iliana Yotova and Mr. Kiril Valchev received 34.8 per cent of the vote, followed by the pairs of Mr. Andrey Gyurov and Mr. Georgi Kandev, with 31.9 per cent. Voter turnout was estimated around 22 per cent. On the basis of these preliminary estimates, a second round of voting is expected to take place on 1 November 2026. During its visit to Pazardzhik, the PABSEC delegation also met with Mr. Borislav Bogoslovov, Governor of the Pazardzhik Region. The discussions focused on the organisational and technical preparations for the presidential elections in the region and the role of the regional administration in providing logistical support for the electoral process. Within the framework of the visit, the PABSEC Delegation also met with Mr. Milen Trifonov, PABSEC Vice-President and Head of the PABSEC Bulgarian Delegation. The sides exchanged views on the organisation of the presidential elections, as well as on the ongoing activities of PABSEC and the participation of the Bulgarian delegation in the work of the Assembly.
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