Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on Friday his PP party will nominate finance minister Assen Vassilev as its candidate to become the next prime minister, a move he hopes will allow it to stay in office and avoid new elections.
A PP-led coalition government last week lost a parliamentary vote of no-confidence and Petkov said PP will nominate Vassilev, a co-leader of the party, after one of its coalition allies, the Socialists, said they would not back a new government led by Petkov.
The Socialists, who have traditionally been more friendly towards Moscow, said they were angered by Petkov's decision this week to expel 70 Russian diplomatic staff.
It remains unclear whether Vassilev's nomination could also pave the way for talks with the populist ITN party, which quit the coalition earlier this month and help PP muster a majority for a new government.
(Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Editing by Toby Chopra)
