Bulgaria poll result confirmed

Former king Simeon II to be next Prime Minister of Bulgaria

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- The movement led by former King Simeon II fell one seat short of an absolute majority in Bulgaria's parliamentary elections, final results show.

Simeon's movement received 43 percent of the vote. A Central Election Commission member told Reuters news agency that the National Movement for Simeon would have 120 of the 240 seats in the single-chamber legislature.

An official announcement is expected later on Wednesday.

Winning 18 percent of the vote, The Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), led by outgoing Prime Minister Ivan Kostov, will have 51 deputies in the new parliament. The UDF had an absolute majority in the outgoing legislature.

The commissioner also told Reuters that, with a 17 percent victory, the Socialist Party of ex-communists would have 48 seats.

Finishing fourth with 7 percent, the Bulgarian ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedom (MRF), has 21 seats.

Simeon's movement is planning formal coalition talks once final results have been announced.

The MRF has shown support for the proposed coalition government, with the socialists expected to stay in the opposition. It is not clear as to where The UDF stands with regards to the proposition.