After the first round of the presidential elections on Sunday, four candidates will go back to their everyday activities and observe the upcoming second round just as regular voters.

Days before the elections, most polling agencies pointed to Bogomil Bonev, the nominee of the Bulgarian Civic Party, as a probable run-off candidate, but he received only 19.2 per cent of the votes. The former interior minister said at a press conference early Monday morning that he considered his result as a very serious success. "Without the support of the National Movement Simeon II, Petar Stoyanov would have ranked third," Bonev said, and noted that the biggest loser of the elections was the incumbent.

According to Bonev, it would have been best if Simeon Saxe-Coburg had run for president. "I am impressed by Purvanov's results but out of respect for the voters I would not state my preferences now."

He said that the main reason for the low voter turnout was that the presidential institution has lost its identity to such an extent that people believe that nothing actually depends on the president.

The candidate supported by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Reneta Indjova, refused to hold a press conference after the announcement of the preliminary results of the first round. Indjova, who was the caretaker prime minister during the interim government in 1994, gathered 4.9 per cent of the votes.

George Ganchev, nominated by the George Ganchev Bloc, said Sunday was the last time he would run for president. Ganchev, who finished third in the last presidential polls, gained only 3.3 per cent of the vote this time. In an emotional speech early Monday morning, Ganchev said that even though he planned to stay in politics through his party, his personal service to the Bulgarian people was coming to an end.

"Madly in love with my country, I gave up 12 years of my life to it and I do not regret that," Ganchev said. On Sunday, when he cast his vote, Ganchev said that if he did not win this time, he would probably start up his own business.

Petar Beron, who ranked last with only 1.1 per cent of the vote, urged his supporters to go and vote in the second round for a candidate who would commit to improving the living conditions of the poor, pensioners and young people.