Yordanka Fandakova

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is supportive of plans to turn the country's capital Sofia and the Chinese city of Shanghai into sister cities, the government's press office has said.

Borisov is on a five-day visit to China alongside seven ministers to attend a summit of Central and Eastern European leaders and a bilateral investment forum.

Police and municipal authorities are stepping up security measures in Sofia in the wake of Friday's Paris terror attacks, bTV reported on Monday.

Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova have discussed an increase of police presence at public places in which large numbers of people gather.

Dozens of violation claims have been submitted to authorities by 10 EET on Sunday morning as a second round of local elections is being held, the Interior Ministry has said. `

Separately, the main ruling GERB party has reported seven breaches of election law, three of them in Sofia.

A run-off vote of Bulgaria's local elections is being held in 1128 villages, towns and cities across the country on Sunday.

In 970 of them voters are picking mayor, while others are to elect district or municipal mayors.

With 75 % of the ballot papers processed, it seems that Bulgaria's main ruling party, GERB, will lose the majority it has enjoyed in the municipal council of Sofia.

Prior to the local elections, which were held in Bulgaria on Sunday, GERB had 33 out of 61 municipal councillors in the capital.

According to the latest exit polls, Yordanka Fandakova, the incumbent mayor of Sofia and candidate of the largest ruling GERB party, was reelected to a third consecutive term with 60 % of the votes in the local elections held in Bulgaria on Sunday.

Socialist party spokesperson Atanas Merdzhanov has accused ruling GERB party of using its influence to manipulate results of local elections, as exit polls suggested a secure victory for incumbent Yordanka Fandakova.

Incumbent mayor Yordanka Fandakova has been reelected for a third term as Mayor for Bulgaria's capital Sofia as the country is holding its local elections on Sunday, a first exit poll by Alpha Research agency shows.

Fandakova has won outright, with support (at 59.9%) that makes a second term redundant, according to the agency.

The main candidates running for mayor of Sofia voted both in the local elections and referendum, which are being held simultaneously in Bulgaria on Sunday.

The incumbent mayor Yordanka Fandakova, who is running for a third term as candidate of the largest ruling party GERB, said that each citizen has to exercise the right to vote.

Local elections are coming in just days, and Novinite is fully aware it did not provide the campaign coverage a news outlet covering a particular country usually does whatever vote is forthcoming.