Bulgaria Right-Wing Parties Unite

Five Bulgarian right-wing parties, whose supporters have largely backed anti-government protests since mid-June, set up on Friday a joint coalition, hoping to become the third biggest political force in the country ahead of possible elections next year.

"Our objective is to unite the citizens in order to eliminate the mafia in power and put in place rapid measures to overcome the political, economic and demographic crisis," the parties from the new Reformist bloc said.

The new coalition unites the Bulgaria for the Citizens Movement of ex-European Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, three small formations that split from the traditional anti-communist right-wing, and a new Turkish minority party -- all of which remained outside the current parliament at the last general elections in mid-May.

Three separate polls ahead of the Reformist bloc's expected foundation showed that it can count on support of between up to eight percent of the voters.

Bulgaria's current Socialist-backed cabinet of technocrat Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski took office in late May, but it has faced months of protests.

According to an Alpha Research poll published on Monday, the government is currently backed by only 19 percent of people and parliament has only 10-percent support.

Many experts predict the government will fail to serve the full four years. Many expect elections in 2014.