SOFIA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's incumbent President Iliana Iotova is leading in the country's presidential election on Sunday, but a runoff will be required to determine the winner, according to exit polls.
According to the exit poll by Alpha Research, Iotova is expected to get 35.3 percent of the valid votes, while the exit poll by Myara Sociology Agency showed that Iotova would get 35.2 percent.
The voter turnout was 22.3 percent and 21.2 percent, according to Alpha Research and Myara, respectively. The two exit polls were announced at the Bulgarian National TV.
To be elected, a candidate for president shall require more than half of the valid ballots, provided that more than half of all eligible voters have cast their ballots in the election. If none of the candidates win an outright majority, a second round vote shall be held within seven days between the two top candidates.
Iotova's opponent in the runoff will be the former Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov, who got 32.4 percent according to Alpha Research, and 32.2 percent according to Myara.
The official results will be released no later than Tuesday evening, and the runoff between the two top candidates is to be held next Sunday.
"It is an illusion to think that by not voting, we can change anything in the country," Iotova told reporters after the release of the exit polls.
She expressed concern regarding the low voter turnout and emphasised that citizen's participation in the elections is a necessary condition for achieving real change.
"In the coming years, we must change a great deal so as not to take Bulgaria back to the years of stagnation -- a period during which we missed out on so many opportunities due to division and confrontation," she said.
In a separate statement, Gurov said he would like to call upon Iotova to appear before the Bulgarian citizens in an open and honest debate, to express their positions and views on how they would exercise their powers and how they would act when Bulgaria faces a difficult choice.
"We owe it to all Bulgarian citizens who voted today, but above all, we also owe it to those who stayed home -- those who have yet to decide whether to vote and whom to support," he said.
Bulgarian president is elected for a term of five years. Iotova's term will expire at the end of January 2027. ■