Sofia to elect new mayor on October 24

The election of a new mayor of Sofia, to replace Boiko Borissov who is girding up to become Prime Minister of Bulgaria, will take place on October 24 2009, the Municipal Election Commission said on July 8 2009.

Borissov’s party, GERB, won a majority in Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections on July 5. He has said he will become Prime Minister.

After he assumes his office in national governnment, a deputy mayor will stand in for Borissov. One deputy mayor will be ineligible – Tsvetan Tsvetanov, GERB’s chairman, whom Borissov named on July 8 as his Interior Minister.

Borissov became mayor on November 8 2005 in a similar special election after Stefan Sofiyanski was elected to Parliament. Borissov won a second term, and his successor will serve out the remainder of Borissov’s term of office.