UPDATED: Ex-PM Borissov’s GERB nudges ahead in Bulgarian election – partial results

SOFIA, April 3 (Reuters) – A bloc led by the centre-right GERB party of former prime minister Boyko Borissov narrowly won most votes in Bulgaria’s parliamentary election, according to partial official results on Monday based on 87% of ballots counted.

The results from Sunday’s election, Bulgaria’s fifth in just two years, showed GERB and its small SDS ally winning a combined 26.6% of the vote, just ahead of the pro-Western reformist bloc led by We Continue the Change (PP) on 24.5%, while the nationalist Revival party had 14.4%.

The outcome points to further lengthy coalition talks that are unlikely to produce a stable government due to personal antipathy among the leaders of the two main blocs, analysts say, possibly leading to a sixth election later this year.

Turnout in Sunday’s vote was estimated at around 37%.