Iotova becomes Bulgaria's first elected woman president
Acting President Iliana Iotova won Sunday's runoff with about 57.6% of the vote, defeating former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, according to near-final results.
Iliana Iotova won Bulgaria's presidential runoff on Sunday, becoming the first woman elected to the country's top office, according to near-final results from the election commission.
Iotova and her running mate, Kiril Valchev, received about 57.6% of the vote. Her rival, former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, received about 39.5%, and nearly 3% of voters chose the ballot option of supporting no one. Gyurov conceded defeat, according to the Associated Press. Turnout was low.
Iotova, a former member of the European Parliament, served for years as vice president under Rumen Radev. She became acting president in January after Radev stepped down to run in parliamentary elections. She will now serve a full term of her own.
Bulgaria's president has limited powers compared with the government, but the post includes representing the country abroad, acting as commander in chief and appointing caretaker governments when parliament cannot form one. The country, a member of the European Union and NATO, has held a long series of elections in recent years amid political instability.
This summary is original reporting by tehworldnews, written after checking the facts against several major international news outlets and official statements.