1997 Bulgarian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 19 April 1997.[1] The result was a victory for the United Democratic Forces (an alliance of the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS), the Democratic Party, the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-Nikola Petkov and the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party),[2] which won 137 of the 240 seats. Voter turnout was 62.9%.[3] Following the election, SDS leader Ivan Kostov became Prime Minister.[4]

1997 Bulgarian parliamentary election

19 April 1997
All 240 seats in the National Assembly 121 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	62.9%
Party Leader % Seats ± ODS Ivan Kostov 52.3 137 +68 KB Georgi Parvanov 22.1 58 -67 DPS Ahmed Dogan 7.6 19 +4 BEL Aleksandar Tomov 5.5 14 New BBB George Ganchev 4.9 12 -1 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after Stefan Sofiyanski SDS Ivan Kostov ODS

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
United Democratic Forces	2,223,714	52.3	137	+68
Democratic Left	939,308	22.1	58	−67
Union for National Salvation[lower-alpha 1]	323,429	7.6	19	+4
Bulgarian Euro-Left	234,058	5.5	14	New
Bulgarian Business Bloc	209,796	4.9	12	−1
Communist Party of Bulgaria	50,864	1.2	0	0
Alliance for the King	46,765	1.1	0	New
Bulgarian Christian Coalition	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
Crowned Democracy	11,747	0.3	0	0
Bulgarian Workers' Socialist Party	10,152	0.2	0	New
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-Centre	10,062	0.2	0	New
Democratic Alternative for the Republic	9,664	0.2	0	0
Bulgarian Party of Liberals	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
Popular Patriotic Left Front	6,795	0.2	0	New
Bulgarian Workers'-Agrarian 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
Forward Bulgaria' Coalition	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
Transfiguration Forum	3,654	0.1	0	0
Bulgarian Democratic Party for European and World States	3,614	0.1	0	0
Bulgarian National Ecological Party - Veliko Turnovo	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 for the Eternal Path	2,438	0.1	0	New
Bulgarian Fatherland Party – National Union	2,301	0.1	0	0
Front of Progressive Forces in Bulgaria	1,135	0.0	0	0
Alliance of the Nation - Movement of the Downtrodden	670	0.0	0	0
Independents	19,335	0.5	0	0
Invalid/blank votes	35,956	–	–	–
Total	4,291,257	100	240	0
Registered voters/turnout	7,289,956	58.9	–	–
Sources: Nohlen & Stöver, University of Essex

1. The Union for National Salvation was an alliance between the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, the Green Party of Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union "Nikola Petkov", the Union of Democratic Forces-Centre, New Choice and the Federation "Kingdom of Bulgaria".[5]

Aftermath

Following the elections, Ivan Kostov formed the Kostov Government.

References

1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p. 369 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Nohlen & Stöver, p. 372
3. Nohlen & Stöver, p. 383
4. Bulgaria: Elections held in 1997 Inter-Parliamentary Union
5. Nohlen & Stöver, p. 372