Bulgaria's ex-premier Boyko Borisov said Thursday he will challenge the results of Sunday's elections that saw his conservatives come first but fall short of a majority, and seek a fresh vote. "For the first time in Bulgaria's history maybe, the party that won the elections will challenge their results. The motive is grave violations of the regulations" on the day before the election, Borisov told journalists in his first public appearance since the vote. "The best is to go for new elections," he added.

Former bodyguard and prime minister Boyko Borisov, whose party -- according to exit polls -- came first in Bulgarian elections on Sunday but without a majority, is as charismatic as he is tough. But the dramatic way his first term ended in February makes it clear that these qualities may not be enough to tackle the deep problems faced by the European Union's poorest country. And before he even tries, first he needs to form a government. After winning just between 30.3 and 33 percent of the vote, this will be a difficult task.

Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has been hospitalised for severe hypertension a week after resigning his post following mass nationwide protests, hospital officials said Tuesday. Meanwhile a man set himself on fire in protest, the third such immolation in less than 10 days and a sign that frustration and economic despair remained high even with Borisov out of office. Borisov, 53, was admitted on Monday afternoon with extremely high blood pressure at 190/110, said Lyubomir Spasov, director of the Lozenetz government hospital.

Bulgaria's parliament accepted Thursday the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's government after days of at times violent protests over low wages and persistent corruption, opening the way for early elections in late April. The surprise resignation, which was announced on Wednesday, came five months before the government's term of office was due to end. But it followed nationwide protests in the past 10 days that were sparked by high electricity bills but soon snowballed into wider anger against deepening poverty and corruption in the EU's poorest country.