The new centre-right GERB party of Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov won Bulgaria's general elections with 39.7 per cent support, official results showed yesterday.

Mr Borisov had previously claimed victory in Sunday's vote, saying that he will quickly form a centre-right government, although he stopped short of saying who its allies would be.

The outgoing Socialists of Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev suffered a stinging defeat, garnering only 17.72 per cent support. They had won the last election in 2005 with 33.98 per cent.

The Turkish minority MRF party, a junior coalition partner in the last government, won 14.47 per cent. The ultra nationalist Ataka party came fourth with 9.37 per cent.

Two other right-wing parties also entered Parliament - the Blue Coalition with 6.73 per cent and the newly-formed Order, Lawfulness, Justice party with 4.13 per cent.

Both said they were ready to join GERB in a coalition government.

The centist NMSP party of former king Simeon Saxe Coburg, that formed a cabinet in 2001 and was the third partner in the outgoing Cabinet, failed to pass the four-per cent threshold to enter the legislature. It had come out second in 2005 with 21.83 per cent.

The official turnout on Sunday was 60.20 per cent, the electoral commission said.

For the first time, 31 deputies, or one from each constituency, were elected directly, with the remaining 209 seats being allotted on a proportional basis.

Factbox: What will follow

GERB is likely to seek a deal with the Blue Coalition grouping of right-wing parties, which economists say bodes well for future economic reforms.

Following are the steps to assemble Parliament and form a new government:

• President Georgi Parvanov has 30 days to call Parliament, after which he will begin consultations and give the leading party a mandate to form government.

• Mr Parvanov has said he would convene the legislature as early as next Tuesday to ensure a quick response to mounting economic woes.

• After being given the go-ahead to form a government, the Prime Minister designate has seven days to assemble a majority in parliament. If he or she fails, the mandate falls to the second largest party. If it fails again, the President may ask any of the remaining parties to form a government.

• If that fails, the President appoints a caretaker Cabinet, dissolves parliament and calls a new election in two months.