The Central Election Commission (CEC) has received 72 complaints over a statement by Prime Minister Rumen Radev backing the presidential ticket of Iliana Yotova and Vulchev. The complaints were reported at today's session, but commission members have not yet looked at them in detail.
The initiative committee of Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev filed the first complaint yesterday, after the Council of Ministers' press office released the statement. The committee says the statement amounts to campaigning for its rivals.
How it began: Government press office: runoff campaign has not yet started
The committee cites the Electoral Code, which bans campaigning in state and municipal offices and institutions, and bars the use of public administrative resources for election purposes.
The Council of Ministers replied the same day that the statement came out before the new election campaign began.
Yotova's committee says Radev announced his support for her as long as two months ago, so it sees no problem in him confirming it.
The CEC must decide whether a rule was broken and whether to penalise the prime minister or the Council of Ministers' press office. It also has other complaints and reports from election day to review.
The first round of the presidential election was held on Sunday. Before announcing final results, the CEC must process the last protocols from regional election commissions. The law gives it 48 hours after the end of election day to do so.