Sofia  - Bulgaria's right-wing opposition GERB party won most of the votes in Sunday's European Parliament elections, defeating the ruling Socialists, according to results released by the country's Electoral Commission Monday.

With more than 90 per cent of the vote counted, results showed GERB took around 24 per cent of the vote, while the Socialist Socialist Party of Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev won around 18 per cent.

Voter turnout, at 37.73 per cent, was significantly higher than in 2007, when 28 per cent of voters cast their ballots. Sunday's election was however overshadowed by reports of dozens of cases of vote-buying.

The ultra-nationalist Ataka Party won 11 per cent of the vote, while the Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) took around 14 per cent.

The right-wing Blue Coalition and the liberal National Movement for Security and Progress (NMSP) made it over the 5 per cent hurdle required to enter the European Parliament, with just under 8 per cent of the vote.

An official result with the names of the 17 European Parliament members was to be announced by Wednesday. It was already clear that EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva and Foreign Affairs Minister Ivailo Kalfin had secured seats.

European elections were seen as a dress rehearsal for Bulgaria's parliamentary election on July 5.(dpa)