THE right-wing United Democratic Forces (UtDF) and the Bulgarian People's Union (BPU) have announced who will head their candidate lists in key electoral districts.
Among UtDF ticket leaders there are two medics, a dentist, a veterinary surgeon, a philosopher, a political analyst, six jurists, seven economists, three engineers, and two specialists in foreign relations.
More than half of the names cannot be said to be very well-known.
Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) leader Nadezhda Mihailova heads the lists of candidates in Varna and in the 23rd electoral district in Sofia, where she will face Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) deputy leader Rumen Ovcharov and Deputy Prime Minister Plamen Panayotov of the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII), the majority partner in the coalition government.
Former president Petar Stoyanov tops the lists in Plovdiv City where he will face Finance Minister Milen Velchev (NMSII). Stoyanov also head the list in Smolyan. Former prime minister and former Bulgarian ambassador to the US Philip Dimitrov will lead the lists in Blagoevgrad where he will face the most popular man in the country, Interior Ministry chief secretary Boiko Borissov, and Dimitrov is also the UtDF's top candidate in the 24th district in Sofia.
The meeting of the UDF National Executive Council, however, was by no means peaceful and quiet.
After the council meeting, Razgrad UDF leader Nikola Nikolov and his supporters resigned after the UDF selected Ergin Emin to head the list in the district.
"The UDF is in crisis and the coalition that has been founded has no chance of winning 60 seats in the next Parliament," Nikolov said.
A protest against the decision by the UDF NEC was declared in the town of Haskovo. The UDF ticket leader in this constituency is Nikolai Vulchev, former chief of the Kostov-led Cabinet and a member of the Democratic Party.
Several participants in the meeting said that Mihailova had installed her "henchmen" as UDF ticket leaders across the country, but most of these people had done nothing for the UDF, and some had little chance of defeating their rivals from other parties.
According to some participants, the UDF ticket leader in Stara Zagora constituency, Vanyo Sharkov, had no chance against the NMSII ticket leader, Minister of Youth and Sports Vassil Ivanov, and the BSP ticket leader, former social minister Emilia Maslarova.
Some UDF members said that the UtDF list leader in Bourgas, Gergyovden Movement leader Lyuben Dilov Jnr, had no chance against the NMSII candidate, Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
"My colleagues and I will play to win," Mihailova said.
The BPU coalition, made up of the Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union - People's Union (BAPU-PU) led by Anastasia Mozer, Stefan Sofianski's Union of Free Democrats (UFD) and the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation (IMRO), also announced their ticket leaders.
The leaders of the three parties will top the lists in the three Sofia districts - Mozer in the 25th, Sofianski in the 24th and Krassimir Karakachanov in the 23rd.
Karakachanov will also stand in Rousse where he will face the UtDF candidate, city mayor Eleonora Nikolova, European Affairs Minister Meglena Kuneva (NMSII) and President Georgi Purvanov's adviser, Ivailo Kalfin (BSP).
In Varna, Sofianski will compete against Mihailova, Ovcharov and Panayotov, while in Bourgas Mozer will meet Dilov, BSP leader Sergei Stanishev, and Passi.