Incumbent Georgi Parvanov won a first round of Bulgarian presidential polls on Sunday, but low turnout forced a runoff against a nationalist who has fought against the country's drive to join the European Union, according to Reuters. A Gallup exit poll for private television station BTV showed Parvanov, the former head of Bulgaria's ruling Socialist party, won 63.69 percent of ballots cast. In second place, with 21.58 percent, was Volen Siderov, the leader of the xenophobic Attack party who campaigned on a largely anti-minority platform. The vote bolsters support for Parvanov's ruling Socialist allies and puts him closer to his goal of leading Bulgaria into the EU on Jan. 1. "I want to thank everyone who backed me and congratulate them on a very convincing result," Parvanov told reporters. "When you have such numbers you have nothing to worry about." But voter despondency over poverty and the slow pace of reforms produced a turnout of only 43.29 percent. Under Bulgarian law, at least 50 percent of voters must cast ballots for a candidate to win in the first round, so Parvanov and Siderov must face off in an Oct. 29 showdown.
