Bulgarians re-elect outgoing president to pursue change

On Sunday, Bulgarian President-elect Rumein Radhev was re-elected as the centerpiece of the anti-corruption movement, according to estimates from exit polls.

Radhev, 58, a former fighter pilot and former commander of the Armed Forces backed by several “change” parties, received between 63 and 65 percent of the vote.

Anastas Kertzhikov, who ran against him with the support of the Conservative Party, received 31 to 33 percent of the vote.

In a parliamentary republic, the president has the sole responsibility of honoring the president. But Roman Radhev, who was new to politics after winning the 2016 election, gave the post a new dimension and established himself as an undisputed figure in the political game.

The good news is that he has been elected to the new anti-corruption party that won the legislative elections a week ago and called for change.

In Chile, voters voted for a new president, widely regarded as the country’s most divisive presidential election since its return to democracy in 1990, in which a former right-wing Congressman is running against a left-wing candidate. Right-wing candidate Jose Antonio Cost, a 55-year-old Catholic and father of nine children, has vowed to fight crime and praised former dictator Augusto Pinochet’s liberal “economic legacy.” Left-wing candidate Gabriel Borek, a 35-year-old parliamentarian who led student struggles to improve Chile’s education system in 2011, has vowed to abolish the laissez-faire model while promoting environmental protection and indigenous rights.

On the other hand, the municipal elections marked a starting point for power and the opposition, which is participating in the referendum for the first time since 2017 and the arrival of the EU monitoring mission. With 21 million of Venezuela’s 30 million voters, 70,000 candidates, 23 governors, mayors and councilors are running in 335 cities in Venezuela, facing an unprecedented economic crisis and high inflation. President Nicolas Maduro is seeking to lift sanctions on his country by promising goodwill and democracy. The divided opposition decided to run in the elections in the hope that it would provide a positive impetus for the 2024 presidential election. The European Union will monitor Venezuela’s elections for the first time in 15 years. (Agencies)