SOFIA, Bulgaria, May 13 (UPI) -- A record low 53 percent of voters participated in Bulgaria's elections, returning the party of former Prime Minister Boiko Borisov to power, a survey indicated.
Borisov and his government resigned in February after protesters demanded improvements in living standards, a more representative government, and an end to government corruption and incompetence.
Borisov's Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, or GERB, received 31 percent in Sunday's election, a survey by Alpha Research in Sofia indicated, while the Socialist Party, the former Communists, got 27 percent in the election, The New York Times reported Monday.
Alpha Research said 96 percent of the vote had been counted Monday.
Accusations of corruption arose just before voting began with the announcement that 350,000 illegal ballots were found in a printing plant owned by a member of Borisov's party. Prosecutors said the ballots were ready for distribution to polling locations, but several news outlets disputed the claim, the Times said.
The announcement made on Saturday also spurred accusations about its timing and whether it was meant to damage GERB, the ruling party.
The Central Electoral Commission declined to comment.
During a news conference, Sergei Stanishev, leader of the Socialists, called the illegal ballots a fraud that was "unique in scale and arrogance."
President Rosen Plevneliev, a member of GERB, urged Bulgarians to allow the investigation to be completed before drawing any conclusions.
"I refer with confidence to the actions of institutions and support their efforts," he said.
