SOFIA
Bulgarian president has urged the country's political parties to set aside political bickering to form a new cabinet following Sunday's general elections which failed to produce an outright winner but was plagued by allegations of fraud, wiretapping and extra ballot scandals.
"I do not want a new election but a new cabinet as soon as possible," Rosen Plevneliev told a press conference on Wednesday, warning that a fresh early election call would destabilize the country.
Former prime minister's Center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, or GERB, won 30.7 percent of Sunday's vote, while the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) placed second with 26.6 pct.
Two other parties, the Movement of Rights of ethnic Turks came third with 11.2 percent and the ultra-nationalist Ataka party was fourth with 7 percent.
Plevneliev rejected the idea to cancel the vote saying that Bulgarian election authority had verified the legitimacy the voting.
"It won't be easy for the parties entering the parliament especially to form the new cabinet following the scandals. I believe the parties will make the necessary concessions for reconciliation [...] Steps should be taken to set up a new cabinet as soon as possible," he said.
An interim government will lead the country until a new government is formed.
