Sofia, Jan 15 (IANS): Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has signed a decree here, scheduling the country's parliamentary elections for April 4.

For the first time, the country would hold parliamentary elections during a pandemic, Radev said in a statement issued on Thursday.

All institutions should work in such a way as to guarantee the health and the right to vote of every Bulgarian citizen, as well as the efficiency and transparency of the electoral process, Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying.

Under Bulgaria's Constitution, the 240-seat National Assembly (Parliament) is elected for a term of four years, and general elections should be held within two months from the expiry of the mandate of the preceding legislative body.

The previous parliamentary elections in the Balkan country were held on March 26, 2017.

The centre-right GERB party won 95 seats and formed a coalition government with the 27-seat group of the United Patriots that is still in power.

Three more parties also entered parliament, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), and the populist Volya party, with 80, 26 and 12 seats, respectively.