Bulgaria's acting President led run-off turm vote

Exit polls showed Bulgaria's acting President Iliana Iotova led a low-turnout runoff vote for the largely ceremonial role on Sunday, putting her on course to become the country's first elected female head of state.



Iotova, 61, led with about 51% versus 43% to 45% for former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov, 50, according to two exit polls published as voting ended at 8 p.m local time.



The final official result is expected on Monday as the ballots are counted.



The exit polls put voter participation at about 27% to 29%, a bit higher than the first-round race on October 25, which had a record-low turnout of 23%.



The presidential vote comes against the backdrop of a series of drone attacks on merchant ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast in the past month, which have sparked international condemnation and concerns about the growing reach of the war in Ukraine.



Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who backs Iotova, said the strikes' outcome "benefits the Russian Federation".



The two candidates have both called for a diplomatic end to the war.