Bulgaria election exit polls suggest Iliana Yotova will become country's first elected female president - after she was endorsed by Moscow-friendly party

Exit polls in Bulgaria suggest acting President Iliana Yotova is set to become the country's first elected female head of state.Ms Yotova, 62, secured around 52 per cent of the vote in Sunday's presidential run-off and was endorsed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev's Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party.Her rival, pro-Western candidate Andrey Gyurov, received around 44 per cent.The final official result is expected on Monday as the ballots are counted. The vote was the first major test for Prime Minister Rumen Radev's Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party.In April's parliamentary vote, the party won 131 of the 240 seats in Parliament, securing an outright majority. Observers say that a victory for Ms Yotova will keep the presidency in the hands of the governing majority. Such a concentration of power could prevent the effective maintenance of checks and balances on policy decisions by institutions, they say. The exit polls put voter participation at about 27 per cent to 29 per cent, a bit higher than the first-round race on October 25, which had a record-low turnout of 23 per cent. Incumbent President and presidential candidate Iliana Yotova casts her vote in Sofia, Bulgaria Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev speaks after the first exit polls of the second round of the presidential election, flanked by Presidential candidate and incumbent President Iliana YotovaMs Yotova took over the presidency in January, when Mr Radev stepped down to run for parliament, and was seeking her own elected mandate. She's expected to continue Mr Radev's policy of keeping Bulgaria on its European path, while also supporting better relations with Russia and the lifting of sanctions. The election comes amid growing tensions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine, following a series of drone attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea, which have raised security concerns in the region. About two dozen seafarers are feared dead, and the strikes have prompted the government to seek allied assistance to bolster maritime security. On Wednesday, a Greek container ship sank after being hit by sea drones. Both candidates have called for a diplomatic end to the conflict, although they differ in their approach to relations with Russia and Ukraine. Ms Yotova has proposed a security meeting involving all six Black Sea countries to seek a moratorium on hostilities, while Bulgaria has faced criticism over its cautious response to the maritime drone attacks. She became acting president in January after Mr Radev resigned to enter and win a parliamentary race on what many political analysts considered a Kremlin-friendly ticket. People gather to stage a protest against President Iliana Yotova and Prime Minister Rumen Radev in front of the presidential palace in Sofia, BulgariaAfter casting her vote on Sunday, Ms Yotova said that she voted for a Bulgaria that makes its own decisions and maintains a strong voice on the international stage. Ms Yotova said on Sunday: 'I voted for Bulgaria to be a strong state in a strong Europe, but for Bulgaria to have its own foreign policy and a voice when it needs to stand up for what matters most — the national interest.'Mr Gyurov, who served as caretaker prime minister this year, is supported by pro-Western, reformist parties and has long expressed support for Ukraine. He said after voting: 'Today I voted for a secure, stable and European Bulgaria.'The Balkan country joined Nato in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. While there is a broad consensus among the parties in parliament on the country's pro-Western path, widespread pro-Russia sentiments based on traditional historical and cultural ties with Russia have divided society, particularly since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War. The war has drawn in billions of pounds in Western military and financial support for Kyiv, while prompting sweeping sanctions against Moscow and raising security concerns across eastern Europe.