(ANSA) - SOFIA, SEP 29 - The Conservative GERB party is leading in polls ahead of early parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday in Bulgaria, the fourth in a year and a half. Local analysts envisage a tight battle involving political forces that will confirm a still divided and fragmented assembly.

Vying for the 240 seats in Bulgaria's unicameral parliament will be 22 parties and six coalitions. Voters are about 6.5 million out of just over 7 million inhabitants.

The system of voting is proportional, combined with a majority quota. A 4 percent threshold must be exceeded to enter the parliament. The parliamentary crisis and early elections were due to a no-confidence vote and the resignation in June of the ruling coalition led by Kiril Petkov, leader of the liberal 'Let's Continue the Change' (PP) party, which remained at the helm of the country for just over seven months. According to the latest poll issued by the Market Links agency, six political forces would enter the new parliament. The conservative Gerb, which had ruled the country for nearly a decade, would take first place with 23.7 percent of preferences, while the Pp would get 16.9 percent. The third force would be the Turkish minority party Dps with 12.3 percent, followed by the Socialists (Bsp) given 9.9 percent, the party nationalist Vazrazhdane ('Rebirth'), with 8.7 percent, and the right-wing 'Democratic Bulgaria' party attested at 7.8 percent.

The agency analysts had underlined that after the elections, the 'red lines' dividing the different political forces would blur to form a stable government for at least a year.

The mandate of the Bulgarian parliament is four years. The forecast is for a low voter turnout, between 40 and 45%. (ANSA).