The local elections in October will cost some 18.5 million leva, State Administration and
Administrative Reform Minister Nikolai Vassilev said Monday. The sum is tentative and depends on whether there will be a run-off, the minister specified.

In a few days Vassilev will table the chart of accounts before the Council of Ministers.

Negotiations are under way with a couple of ministries for a slight reduction of funds, Vassilev said. In his words, the Interior Ministry still has not specified how much it will want for providing the security of the vote.

Municipalities usually double or triple the sum of necessary funds and with the remainder of the money engage in other activities, the State Administration Minister said, adding that his ministry will follow closely that sums on excessive requests will not be extended.

For the previous local elections in 2003 the cabinet approved an amount of 11.9 million leva as expenditure. In 1999 the like amount was 9.2 million leva. The bulk of the costs were earmarked for remuneration of the sectional and municipal election committees.