Bulgarian parliamentary election, 1997
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria
on 19 April 1997. The result was a victory for the United Democratic Forces
(an alliance of the Union of Democratic Forces
, the Democratic Party
, the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-Nikola Petkov
and the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party
), which won 137 of the 240 seats. Voter turnout was 62.9%. Following the election, UDF leader Ivan Kostov
became Prime Minister.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
on 19 April 1997. The result was a victory for the United Democratic Forces
United Democratic Forces
The United Democratic Forces were a center-right electoral alliance in Bulgaria, led by the Union of Democratic Forces.-Members of the coalition:1997 *Union of Democratic Forces...
(an alliance of the Union of Democratic Forces
Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)
The Union of Democratic Forces is a political party in Bulgaria, founded in 1989 as a union of several political organizations in opposition to the communist government. In February 1997 the Union was transformed into a single unified party with the same name...
, the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Bulgaria)
The Democratic Party is a center-right party in Bulgaria led by Alexander Pramatarski. It is part of the United Democratic Forces. The United Democratic Forces won in the 2001 elections 18.2 % of the popular vote and 51 out of 240 seats...
, the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-Nikola Petkov
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union also tiranslated to English as Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union is a political party devoted to representing the causes of the Bulgarian peasantry. It was most powerful between 1900 and 1923. In practice, it was an agrarian movement...
and the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party
Bulgarian Social Democratic Party
The Bulgarian Social Democratic Party is a social democratic political party in Bulgaria.It is part of the Blue Coalition, an alliance led by the Union of Democratic Forces. At the last legislative election in 2009, the alliance won 6.8% of the popular vote and 15 out of 240 seats....
), which won 137 of the 240 seats. Voter turnout was 62.9%. Following the election, UDF leader Ivan Kostov
Ivan Kostov
Ivan Yordanov Kostov was Prime Minister of Bulgaria from May 1997 to July 2001 and leader of the Union of Democratic Forces between December 1994 and July 2001....
became Prime Minister.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Democratic Forces United Democratic Forces The United Democratic Forces were a center-right electoral alliance in Bulgaria, led by the Union of Democratic Forces.-Members of the coalition:1997 *Union of Democratic Forces... |
2,223,714 | 52.3 | 137 | New |
| Bulgarian Socialist Party Bulgarian Socialist Party The Bulgarian Socialist Party is social-democratic political party in Bulgaria and successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. The BSP is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Socialist International, and is currently led by Sergei Stanishev.... |
939,308 | 22.1 | 58 | −67 |
| Movement for Rights and Freedoms Movement for Rights and Freedoms The Movement for Rights and Freedoms is an ethnic Turkish party in Bulgaria. The MRF is a member of the Liberal International and considers itself a liberal party, rather like the Swedish People's Party - party of the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland... |
323,429 | 7.6 | 19 | |
| Bulgarian Euroleft | 234,058 | 5.5 | 14 | New |
| Bulgarian Business Bloc | 209,796 | 4.9 | 12 | −1 |
| Bulgarian Communist Party Bulgarian Communist Party The Bulgarian Communist Party was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state... |
50,864 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Union for the Tsar | 46,765 | 1.1 | 0 | New |
| Bulgarian Christian Coalition Bulgarian Christian Coalition The Bulgarian Christian Coalition is a Christian democratic political party in Bulgaria... |
26,614 | 0.6 | 0 | New |
| Democratic Party of Justice | 20,433 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Party of Bulgarian Women | 16,061 | 0.4 | 0 | New |
| Liberal Forum | 13,638 | 0.3 | 0 | New |
| Koronovana Democratsiya | 11,747 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulgarian Socialist Workers Party | 10,152 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-Centre Bulgarian Agrarian National Union Bulgarian Agrarian National Union also tiranslated to English as Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union is a political party devoted to representing the causes of the Bulgarian peasantry. It was most powerful between 1900 and 1923. In practice, it was an agrarian movement... |
10,062 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Democratic Alternative for the Republic | 9,664 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulgarian Liberal Party | 7,281 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Bulgarian National Radical Party | 7,099 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulgarian National Democratic Party | 6,875 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| National Patriotic Front Left | 6,795 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Bulgarian Worker-Peasant Party | 6,754 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Union for Democratic Development | 6,377 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| Christian Democratic Union | 5,912 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Next Bulgaria | 5,886 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Free Cooperative Party | 5,534 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic League | 4,386 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| New Democracy | 3,720 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| Forum Transfiguration | 3,654 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulgarian Democratic Party for United States of Europe and the World | 3,614 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulgarian National Green Party VT | 3,437 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| Bulgarian Green Federation | 3,347 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| Bulgarian Revolutionary Youth Party | 2,446 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulgarian National Movement of the Eternal Way | 2,438 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| Bulgarian Patriotic Party – National Union | 2,301 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Front of Progressive Forces in Bulgaria | 1,135 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Union of Nations – Onepr Movement | 670 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independents | 19,335 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 35,956 | – | – | – |
| Total | 4,291,257 | 100 | 240 | 0 |
| Sources: Nohlen & Stöver, Todor 66 | ||||