( CNN ) -- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov tendered his government 's resignation Wednesday after eight days of nationwide protests over high energy bills , his office said . CNN iReport : Protests in Shumen , Bulgaria . The protests against soaring electricity bills have morphed into wider discontent over austerity and the way the country is being run , the official Bulgarian News Agency reported . Parliament will vote Thursday on whether to accept the Cabinet 's resignation , the government said . If it is accepted , the president will announce an election date . `` We will perform our functions until the election of a new Cabinet and we will do everything possible to ensure continuity , '' Borisov said in the formal resignation letter read to parliament , according to the Bulgarian News Agency . The government has done its best to respond to the protesters ' demands , the news agency quoted Borisov as saying . Borisov , who has been prime minister since 2009 , earlier told lawmakers his GERB party would not be part of a caretaker government . Bulgaria , a country of just over 7 million people , held its first free multiparty elections since the Second World War in 1990 , according to the CIA World Factbook . Why Bulgaria ? Why now ? CNN 's Christine Theodorou and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report .
NEW : Prime Minister Christine Theodorou 's government has resigned from office . NEW : CIA is expected to vote on whether to accept the resignation more than a week . Shumen has been roiled by public protests for Thursday .