Ruling party to win presidential poll: Bulgaria

Support for Plevneliev, who resigned as construction minister to stand for the largely ceremonial post of president, stood at 29 percent in October, up 2 percentage points from the previous month, a nation-wide poll by independent Gallup International showed.

Backing for Ivailo Kalfin, the candidate of the opposition Socialists who led the previous government, rose to 21 percent from 15 percent, while support for former EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, who joined the race as an independent contender, fell to 11 percent from 13 percent.

Gallup said the rise in support for Kalfin might be due to the nomination of popular actor Stefan Danailov as the Socialist's vice-presidential candidate.

As presidential candidates need 50 percent to win, the contest will most likely go to a run-off on Oct. 30 between Plevneliev and Kalfin, a former foreign minister.

The European Union's poorest member has been rattled by protests and violence in recent weeks but despite the failure of the cabinet to deliver on promises for reforms and a painful economic recovery, GERB still enjoys a lead in opinion polls. The Gallup poll did not give figures for other candidates, including the nationalist Attack party.

Copyright Reuters, 2011