I am disappointed that we won't be there in time for these parliamentary elections, although we will be there for the local elections to be held in March.
Click here for the Balkan Insight election profile:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-elections-2016-profile-11-21-2016
Click here for more information from IFES (International Foundation for Electoral Systems) about the parliamentary elections in Macedonia:
http://www.ifes.org/faqs/elections-macedonia-2016-parliamentary-elections
Elections in Macedonia: 2016 Parliamentary Elections
Publication Date:
8 Dec 2016
On
December 11, Macedonians will vote for their members of Parliament. Of
the 123 seats in the Parliament, 120 are elected from six 20-seat
constituencies in Macedonia using closed list proportional
representation. The remaining three seats are single-member
constituencies representing Macedonians living abroad and are elected by
a first-past-the-post system.
To help you understand this important electoral process, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) provides Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Elections in Macedonia: 2016 Parliamentary Elections. IFES FAQs include:
This is the ninth general election since Macedonia became independent in the 1990s and the forth early election in a row.
How many can vote?
More than 1.7 million people of a total population of about 2.2 million are eligible to cast their ballot in the election.
What is at stake?
The election comes amid a prolonged and deep political crisis centering on the opposition's claim that Nikola Gruevski, the former Prime Minister and head of the main ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, is behind a mass illegal wiretapping; an allegation which he denies.
In February 2015, the opposition began releasing batches of covertly recorded tapes, which it claims shows that the VMRO-DPMNE-led government was behind the illegal surveillance of some 20,000 people. Among those secretly recorded were: ministers, politicians from the ruling and opposition parties, businessmen, journalists, scholars and activists.
The opposition has also claimed the tapes provide evidence that several top members of government and their associates were involved in serious illegal schemes including: rigging general and presidential elections in 2014; manipulating the justice system; intimidating and controlling the media; and, shockingly, covering up the murder of a young man by a police officer.
The upcoming election follows two years of large anti-government protests — attended by tens of thousands of people at their peak — sparked by the release of the tapes.
Two election dates were postponed by parliament earlier this year. The third attempt, scheduled for December, follows the signing of an EU-backed ‘renewed crisis agreement’ signed by all parties in the summer. The agreement put in place an interim government, including ministers from the opposition parties, and is aimed at ensuring that elections are free and fair.
Holding free elections has been included in this year's European Commission progress report on Macedonia as one of the main prerequisites for the country to be extended.
The two largest parties standing in the election are the nationalist centre-right VMRO DPMNE, which has been in power since 2006 and whose leaders claim the crisis has been imposed by unnamed foreign services trying to destabilize the country, and the Social Democrats, SDSM, which has pledged to improve democratic standards, reform the country economically and tackle high-level corruption, and social injustice.
A third bloc of smaller centre-right opposition parties may also take a small chunk of the VMRO DPMNE's traditional voters.
The ethnic Albanian vote could also be significant in determining the next government. Ethnic Albanians make up around a quarter of Macedonia’s population and the party that wins their vote normally sits as a coalition partner in the government, potentially making them a kingmaker if the result is tight.
The Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, will this time face a serious challenge to keep supremacy among Albanian voters. Apart from its traditional rival, the opposition Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, it will also have to confront several newly formed Albanian opposition parties like BESA and the DPA - Movement for Reforms.
For the first time since Macedonia's independence, the opposition Social Democrats have also set their sights on winning Albanian votes with pledges to tackle social inequality.
The election result will also likely determine whether the allegations relating to the wiretapped recordings are ever fully investigated, and the speed at which any investigations move forward.
Most of the allegations resulting from the tapes concern members of the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party including the current president. At present Grueski is under investigation by the Special Prosecution, SJO — which was formed last year as part of the EU sponsored political crisis agreement — and has already been charged in one case.
This year the ruling party accused the SJO of being unprofessional and biased. In contrast the SDSM have said if they win the election they will speed up investigations and remove obstacles they claim are imposed by the ruling party.
Yet, despite the radically different stands on the subject of SJO, under international pressure all political parties have made guarantees that they will ensure its continues to work after the elections.
Although the dispute with Greece over Macedonia’s name remains a significant foreign policy issue it is not expected to play as significant a role in election campaigning. Since 2008, Macedonia has made no significant progress towards NATO and EU membership, in part because of the dispute with Greece over the country’s name.
Macedonia’s dilemma is either to reach an unpopular deal with Greece or risk a longer stalemate that could damage the country’s economic and political future.
The prime minister:
The prime minister is the most powerful office holder in Macedonia. While the president wields considerable influence over foreign policy and the armed forces, the prime minister handles the appointment of ministers and most of the day-to-day running of the country.
As the head of the government the prime minister is elected by parliament and is ultimately responsible for all its policy and decisions. However, the president still has the executive power to refuse to sign laws even if they have been approved by parliament.
The voting system:
For general elections, the country is divided into six electoral units, each contributing 20 legislators to the 123-seat parliament. Since 2011 diaspora Macedonians also have had the right to vote, and elect three MPs.
The parties each propose a list of 20 candidates in each of the six electoral units. The more votes a party wins in a district, the more candidates from that list enter parliament. The legislators’ term lasts for four years.
General elections:
This is the eighth general election since Macedonia became independent in the 1990s and the third early election in a row.
Most opinion polls give the ruling VMRO-DPMNE a significant lead over the main opposition Social Democrats. However, some political observers say a surprise result may still possible if the opposition manages to mobilise undecided ‘swing’ voters, many of whom are generally disappointed with all existing political options.
Polls show that the governing DUI has most chance of coming first among Albanian voters. - See more at: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-elections-2016-profile-11-21-2016#sthash.awID7rnq.dpuf
SKOPJE, Macedonia – Sunday's
early parliamentary election in Macedonia, held in the shadow of a
massive wiretapping scandal, pits the governing conservatives against
the left-wing main opposition. Two smaller players, both representing
the country's ethnic Albanian minority, might prove key for either main
party in forming a government. Here's a profile of the four main party
leaders.
NIKOLA GRUEVSKI
A conservative with populist and nationalist leanings, Gruevski, 46, heads the VMRO-DPMNE party and has governed Macedonia for the past decade. He stepped down as prime minister in January, under a Western-brokered deal to defuse one of the worst political crises since Macedonia gained independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991. Opposition parties accuse Gruevski of orchestrating an illegal wiretapping operation that targeted 20,000 people, including judges, politicians, police, journalists and religious leaders. Gruevski, the leader of VMRO-DPMNE since 2003, denies any wrongdoing and claims foreign spies were behind the wiretaps. His party is leading in opinion polls.
ZORAN ZAEV
The 42-year-old mayor of Strumica, a town of about 50,000 near the borders with Greece and Bulgaria, has led the Social-Democratic Alliance for Macedonia, or SDSM, since 2013. He has described the forthcoming election as "a choice between doom and life," and accuses the conservative government of fostering corruption and social injustice. Last year, Zaev released copies of dozens of illegally tapped phone calls that he said showed involvement by Gruevski and his top aides in multimillion-dollar corruption deals, tampering with election results and bringing spurious criminal prosecutions against opponents.
ALI AHMETI
Ahmeti is a former military commander of an ethnic Albanian insurgent force that fought government troops for six months in 2001, before a peace deal granted more rights to the minority that forms about a quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million residents. Ahmeti's party, the center-left Democratic Union for Integrations, emerged from the guerrilla campaign and has governed as a junior coalition partner with Gruevski's conservatives since 2008. Polls suggest that DUI leading against the other main party representing the ethnic Albanian minority.
MENDUH THACI
A strong advocate of more rights for the ethnic Albanian minority, Thaci has held senior positions in the Democratic Party of Albanians, or DPA, for almost two decades. The center-right party served as a junior coalition partner for a VMRO-DPMNE government in 2006-2008.
To help you understand this important electoral process, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) provides Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Elections in Macedonia: 2016 Parliamentary Elections. IFES FAQs include:
- Are there reserved seats for women? What is the gender balance within the candidate list?
- What is the election management body? What are its powers?
- How will voters with disabilities cast their ballots?
- Who will observe during Election Day? How can they get accreditation?
What is the structure of the government?
The Macedonian government is made up of between 120 and 123 members of Parliament. The seats in Parliament are divided according to the d’Hondt method.The current government is made up of six parties and coalitions who are represented in Parliament.
Currently, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization– Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity has 61 seats and the Democratic Union for Integration has 19 seats,and the two together form the current government.. The opposition consists of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia with 34 seats, the Democratic Party of Albanians with seven seats, the National Democratic Revival with one seat, and the Citizens Option for Macedonia with one seat.
Are there reserved seats for women? What is the gender balance within the candidate list?
Yes, there is a quota system in Macedonia. The quota calls for at least 40
percent of the candidates lists to be women. Currently, 41 percent of the candidates are female. However, only four women are at the top of their lists
ore
than 1.7 million people are eligible to vote for 123 legislators in six
electoral districts. Three legislators will be elected from the
diaspora.
This is the ninth general election since Macedonia became independent in the 1990s and the forth early election in a row.
How many can vote?
More than 1.7 million people of a total population of about 2.2 million are eligible to cast their ballot in the election.
What is at stake?
The election comes amid a prolonged and deep political crisis centering on the opposition's claim that Nikola Gruevski, the former Prime Minister and head of the main ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, is behind a mass illegal wiretapping; an allegation which he denies.
In February 2015, the opposition began releasing batches of covertly recorded tapes, which it claims shows that the VMRO-DPMNE-led government was behind the illegal surveillance of some 20,000 people. Among those secretly recorded were: ministers, politicians from the ruling and opposition parties, businessmen, journalists, scholars and activists.
The opposition has also claimed the tapes provide evidence that several top members of government and their associates were involved in serious illegal schemes including: rigging general and presidential elections in 2014; manipulating the justice system; intimidating and controlling the media; and, shockingly, covering up the murder of a young man by a police officer.
The upcoming election follows two years of large anti-government protests — attended by tens of thousands of people at their peak — sparked by the release of the tapes.
Two election dates were postponed by parliament earlier this year. The third attempt, scheduled for December, follows the signing of an EU-backed ‘renewed crisis agreement’ signed by all parties in the summer. The agreement put in place an interim government, including ministers from the opposition parties, and is aimed at ensuring that elections are free and fair.
Holding free elections has been included in this year's European Commission progress report on Macedonia as one of the main prerequisites for the country to be extended.
The two largest parties standing in the election are the nationalist centre-right VMRO DPMNE, which has been in power since 2006 and whose leaders claim the crisis has been imposed by unnamed foreign services trying to destabilize the country, and the Social Democrats, SDSM, which has pledged to improve democratic standards, reform the country economically and tackle high-level corruption, and social injustice.
A third bloc of smaller centre-right opposition parties may also take a small chunk of the VMRO DPMNE's traditional voters.
The ethnic Albanian vote could also be significant in determining the next government. Ethnic Albanians make up around a quarter of Macedonia’s population and the party that wins their vote normally sits as a coalition partner in the government, potentially making them a kingmaker if the result is tight.
The Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, will this time face a serious challenge to keep supremacy among Albanian voters. Apart from its traditional rival, the opposition Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, it will also have to confront several newly formed Albanian opposition parties like BESA and the DPA - Movement for Reforms.
For the first time since Macedonia's independence, the opposition Social Democrats have also set their sights on winning Albanian votes with pledges to tackle social inequality.
The election result will also likely determine whether the allegations relating to the wiretapped recordings are ever fully investigated, and the speed at which any investigations move forward.
Most of the allegations resulting from the tapes concern members of the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party including the current president. At present Grueski is under investigation by the Special Prosecution, SJO — which was formed last year as part of the EU sponsored political crisis agreement — and has already been charged in one case.
This year the ruling party accused the SJO of being unprofessional and biased. In contrast the SDSM have said if they win the election they will speed up investigations and remove obstacles they claim are imposed by the ruling party.
Yet, despite the radically different stands on the subject of SJO, under international pressure all political parties have made guarantees that they will ensure its continues to work after the elections.
Although the dispute with Greece over Macedonia’s name remains a significant foreign policy issue it is not expected to play as significant a role in election campaigning. Since 2008, Macedonia has made no significant progress towards NATO and EU membership, in part because of the dispute with Greece over the country’s name.
Macedonia’s dilemma is either to reach an unpopular deal with Greece or risk a longer stalemate that could damage the country’s economic and political future.
The prime minister:
The prime minister is the most powerful office holder in Macedonia. While the president wields considerable influence over foreign policy and the armed forces, the prime minister handles the appointment of ministers and most of the day-to-day running of the country.
As the head of the government the prime minister is elected by parliament and is ultimately responsible for all its policy and decisions. However, the president still has the executive power to refuse to sign laws even if they have been approved by parliament.
The voting system:
For general elections, the country is divided into six electoral units, each contributing 20 legislators to the 123-seat parliament. Since 2011 diaspora Macedonians also have had the right to vote, and elect three MPs.
The parties each propose a list of 20 candidates in each of the six electoral units. The more votes a party wins in a district, the more candidates from that list enter parliament. The legislators’ term lasts for four years.
General elections:
This is the eighth general election since Macedonia became independent in the 1990s and the third early election in a row.
Most opinion polls give the ruling VMRO-DPMNE a significant lead over the main opposition Social Democrats. However, some political observers say a surprise result may still possible if the opposition manages to mobilise undecided ‘swing’ voters, many of whom are generally disappointed with all existing political options.
Polls show that the governing DUI has most chance of coming first among Albanian voters. - See more at: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-elections-2016-profile-11-21-2016#sthash.awID7rnq.dpuf
This is the ninth general election since Macedonia became independent in the 1990s and the forth early election in a row.
How many can vote?
More than 1.7 million people of a total population of about 2.2 million are eligible to cast their ballot in the election.
What is at stake?
The election comes amid a prolonged and deep political crisis centering on the opposition's claim that Nikola Gruevski, the former Prime Minister and head of the main ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, is behind a mass illegal wiretapping; an allegation which he denies.
In February 2015, the opposition began releasing batches of covertly recorded tapes, which it claims shows that the VMRO-DPMNE-led government was behind the illegal surveillance of some 20,000 people. Among those secretly recorded were: ministers, politicians from the ruling and opposition parties, businessmen, journalists, scholars and activists.
The opposition has also claimed the tapes provide evidence that several top members of government and their associates were involved in serious illegal schemes including: rigging general and presidential elections in 2014; manipulating the justice system; intimidating and controlling the media; and, shockingly, covering up the murder of a young man by a police officer.
The upcoming election follows two years of large anti-government protests — attended by tens of thousands of people at their peak — sparked by the release of the tapes.
Two election dates were postponed by parliament earlier this year. The third attempt, scheduled for December, follows the signing of an EU-backed ‘renewed crisis agreement’ signed by all parties in the summer. The agreement put in place an interim government, including ministers from the opposition parties, and is aimed at ensuring that elections are free and fair.
Holding free elections has been included in this year's European Commission progress report on Macedonia as one of the main prerequisites for the country to be extended.
The two largest parties standing in the election are the nationalist centre-right VMRO DPMNE, which has been in power since 2006 and whose leaders claim the crisis has been imposed by unnamed foreign services trying to destabilize the country, and the Social Democrats, SDSM, which has pledged to improve democratic standards, reform the country economically and tackle high-level corruption, and social injustice.
A third bloc of smaller centre-right opposition parties may also take a small chunk of the VMRO DPMNE's traditional voters.
The ethnic Albanian vote could also be significant in determining the next government. Ethnic Albanians make up around a quarter of Macedonia’s population and the party that wins their vote normally sits as a coalition partner in the government, potentially making them a kingmaker if the result is tight.
The Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, will this time face a serious challenge to keep supremacy among Albanian voters. Apart from its traditional rival, the opposition Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, it will also have to confront several newly formed Albanian opposition parties like BESA and the DPA - Movement for Reforms.
For the first time since Macedonia's independence, the opposition Social Democrats have also set their sights on winning Albanian votes with pledges to tackle social inequality.
The election result will also likely determine whether the allegations relating to the wiretapped recordings are ever fully investigated, and the speed at which any investigations move forward.
Most of the allegations resulting from the tapes concern members of the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party including the current president. At present Grueski is under investigation by the Special Prosecution, SJO — which was formed last year as part of the EU sponsored political crisis agreement — and has already been charged in one case.
This year the ruling party accused the SJO of being unprofessional and biased. In contrast the SDSM have said if they win the election they will speed up investigations and remove obstacles they claim are imposed by the ruling party.
Yet, despite the radically different stands on the subject of SJO, under international pressure all political parties have made guarantees that they will ensure its continues to work after the elections.
Although the dispute with Greece over Macedonia’s name remains a significant foreign policy issue it is not expected to play as significant a role in election campaigning. Since 2008, Macedonia has made no significant progress towards NATO and EU membership, in part because of the dispute with Greece over the country’s name.
Macedonia’s dilemma is either to reach an unpopular deal with Greece or risk a longer stalemate that could damage the country’s economic and political future.
The prime minister:
The prime minister is the most powerful office holder in Macedonia. While the president wields considerable influence over foreign policy and the armed forces, the prime minister handles the appointment of ministers and most of the day-to-day running of the country.
As the head of the government the prime minister is elected by parliament and is ultimately responsible for all its policy and decisions. However, the president still has the executive power to refuse to sign laws even if they have been approved by parliament.
The voting system:
For general elections, the country is divided into six electoral units, each contributing 20 legislators to the 123-seat parliament. Since 2011 diaspora Macedonians also have had the right to vote, and elect three MPs.
The parties each propose a list of 20 candidates in each of the six electoral units. The more votes a party wins in a district, the more candidates from that list enter parliament. The legislators’ term lasts for four years.
General elections:
This is the eighth general election since Macedonia became independent in the 1990s and the third early election in a row.
Most opinion polls give the ruling VMRO-DPMNE a significant lead over the main opposition Social Democrats. However, some political observers say a surprise result may still possible if the opposition manages to mobilise undecided ‘swing’ voters, many of whom are generally disappointed with all existing political options.
Polls show that the governing DUI has most chance of coming first among Albanian voters. - See more at: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-elections-2016-profile-11-21-2016#sthash.awID7rnq.dpuf
More than 1.7 million people are eligible to vote for 123 legislators in six electoral districts. Three legislators will be elected from the diaspora.
This is the ninth general election since Macedonia became independent in the 1990s and the forth early election in a row.
How many can vote?
More than 1.7 million people of a total population of about 2.2 million are eligible to cast their ballot in the election.
What is at stake?
The election comes amid a prolonged and deep political crisis centering on the opposition's claim that Nikola Gruevski, the former Prime Minister and head of the main ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, is behind a mass illegal wiretapping; an allegation which he denies.
In February 2015, the opposition began releasing batches of covertly recorded tapes, which it claims shows that the VMRO-DPMNE-led government was behind the illegal surveillance of some 20,000 people. Among those secretly recorded were: ministers, politicians from the ruling and opposition parties, businessmen, journalists, scholars and activists.
The opposition has also claimed the tapes provide evidence that several top members of government and their associates were involved in serious illegal schemes including: rigging general and presidential elections in 2014; manipulating the justice system; intimidating and controlling the media; and, shockingly, covering up the murder of a young man by a police officer.
The upcoming election follows two years of large anti-government protests — attended by tens of thousands of people at their peak — sparked by the release of the tapes.
Two election dates were postponed by parliament earlier this year. The third attempt, scheduled for December, follows the signing of an EU-backed ‘renewed crisis agreement’ signed by all parties in the summer. The agreement put in place an interim government, including ministers from the opposition parties, and is aimed at ensuring that elections are free and fair.
Holding free elections has been included in this year's European Commission progress report on Macedonia as one of the main prerequisites for the country to be extended.
The two largest parties standing in the election are the nationalist centre-right VMRO DPMNE, which has been in power since 2006 and whose leaders claim the crisis has been imposed by unnamed foreign services trying to destabilize the country, and the Social Democrats, SDSM, which has pledged to improve democratic standards, reform the country economically and tackle high-level corruption, and social injustice.
A third bloc of smaller centre-right opposition parties may also take a small chunk of the VMRO DPMNE's traditional voters.
The ethnic Albanian vote could also be significant in determining the next government. Ethnic Albanians make up around a quarter of Macedonia’s population and the party that wins their vote normally sits as a coalition partner in the government, potentially making them a kingmaker if the result is tight.
The Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, will this time face a serious challenge to keep supremacy among Albanian voters. Apart from its traditional rival, the opposition Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, it will also have to confront several newly formed Albanian opposition parties like BESA and the DPA - Movement for Reforms.
For the first time since Macedonia's independence, the opposition Social Democrats have also set their sights on winning Albanian votes with pledges to tackle social inequality.
The election result will also likely determine whether the allegations relating to the wiretapped recordings are ever fully investigated, and the speed at which any investigations move forward.
Most of the allegations resulting from the tapes concern members of the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party including the current president. At present Grueski is under investigation by the Special Prosecution, SJO — which was formed last year as part of the EU sponsored political crisis agreement — and has already been charged in one case.
This year the ruling party accused the SJO of being unprofessional and biased. In contrast the SDSM have said if they win the election they will speed up investigations and remove obstacles they claim are imposed by the ruling party.
Yet, despite the radically different stands on the subject of SJO, under international pressure all political parties have made guarantees that they will ensure its continues to work after the elections.
Although the dispute with Greece over Macedonia’s name remains a significant foreign policy issue it is not expected to play as significant a role in election campaigning. Since 2008, Macedonia has made no significant progress towards NATO and EU membership, in part because of the dispute with Greece over the country’s name.
Macedonia’s dilemma is either to reach an unpopular deal with Greece or risk a longer stalemate that could damage the country’s economic and political future.
The prime minister:
The prime minister is the most powerful office holder in Macedonia. While the president wields considerable influence over foreign policy and the armed forces, the prime minister handles the appointment of ministers and most of the day-to-day running of the country.
As the head of the government the prime minister is elected by parliament and is ultimately responsible for all its policy and decisions. However, the president still has the executive power to refuse to sign laws even if they have been approved by parliament.
The voting system:
For general elections, the country is divided into six electoral units, each contributing 20 legislators to the 123-seat parliament. Since 2011 diaspora Macedonians also have had the right to vote, and elect three MPs.
The parties each propose a list of 20 candidates in each of the six electoral units. The more votes a party wins in a district, the more candidates from that list enter parliament. The legislators’ term lasts for four years.
General elections:
This is the eighth general election since Macedonia became independent in the 1990s and the third early election in a row.
Most opinion polls give the ruling VMRO-DPMNE a significant lead over the main opposition Social Democrats. However, some political observers say a surprise result may still possible if the opposition manages to mobilise undecided ‘swing’ voters, many of whom are generally disappointed with all existing political options.
Polls show that the governing DUI has most chance of coming first among Albanian voters. - See more at: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-elections-2016-profile-11-21-2016#sthash.awID7rnq.dpuf
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/12/10/4-parties-contending-in-sunday-elections-in-macedonia.html
4 parties contending in Sunday's elections in Macedonia
Associated Press
-
A man walks past election posters of the ruing VMRO-DPMNE party, set on a fence along a street in Macedonia's capital Skopje, Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Eleven political parties and coalitions in Macedonia are ending their campaigns ahead of general elections on Sunday. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) (The Associated Press)
Next
NIKOLA GRUEVSKI
A conservative with populist and nationalist leanings, Gruevski, 46, heads the VMRO-DPMNE party and has governed Macedonia for the past decade. He stepped down as prime minister in January, under a Western-brokered deal to defuse one of the worst political crises since Macedonia gained independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991. Opposition parties accuse Gruevski of orchestrating an illegal wiretapping operation that targeted 20,000 people, including judges, politicians, police, journalists and religious leaders. Gruevski, the leader of VMRO-DPMNE since 2003, denies any wrongdoing and claims foreign spies were behind the wiretaps. His party is leading in opinion polls.
ZORAN ZAEV
The 42-year-old mayor of Strumica, a town of about 50,000 near the borders with Greece and Bulgaria, has led the Social-Democratic Alliance for Macedonia, or SDSM, since 2013. He has described the forthcoming election as "a choice between doom and life," and accuses the conservative government of fostering corruption and social injustice. Last year, Zaev released copies of dozens of illegally tapped phone calls that he said showed involvement by Gruevski and his top aides in multimillion-dollar corruption deals, tampering with election results and bringing spurious criminal prosecutions against opponents.
ALI AHMETI
Ahmeti is a former military commander of an ethnic Albanian insurgent force that fought government troops for six months in 2001, before a peace deal granted more rights to the minority that forms about a quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million residents. Ahmeti's party, the center-left Democratic Union for Integrations, emerged from the guerrilla campaign and has governed as a junior coalition partner with Gruevski's conservatives since 2008. Polls suggest that DUI leading against the other main party representing the ethnic Albanian minority.
MENDUH THACI
A strong advocate of more rights for the ethnic Albanian minority, Thaci has held senior positions in the Democratic Party of Albanians, or DPA, for almost two decades. The center-right party served as a junior coalition partner for a VMRO-DPMNE government in 2006-2008.
Macedonia to hold early vote after corruption allegations
Associated Press
View photos
In
this picture taken Nov. 21, 2016, a man works on a pole, beside an
electoral poster of Ali Ahmeti, head of the ethnic Albanian party DUI
and a partner in the country's ruling coalition, displayed on a street
in Skopje. Macedonia heads to early general elections this weekend after
the most divisive and vicious political campaign in the country's brief
history of independence, following a nearly two-year political crisis
that roiled the government and threatened the country's ambitions of
joining NATO and the European Union. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
SKOPJE,
Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia is holding an early general election after a
nearly two-year political crisis that has roiled the government and
threatens the Balkan nation's ambitions of joining NATO and the European
Union.
Sunday's
vote was called as part of a deal to address the crisis, which was
sparked by opposition reports that the government was behind a
large-scale illegal wiretapping operation that targeted 20,000 people,
including politicians, judges, journalists, police and religious
leaders.
Over
several months, opposition leader Zoran Zaev released audio of dozens
of wiretapped phone conversations that he said indicated former
conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and his aides were involved
in multimillion-dollar corruption deals, tampered with election results
and brought spurious criminal prosecutions against opponents.
The
conservatives vehemently rejected the charges, saying the wiretaps were
conducted by unnamed foreign spies and accusing Zaev of plotting a
coup.
Gruevski
is under investigation by the country's Special Prosecution branch and
has already been charged with enticement and carrying out a criminal act
against public order.
The
scandal led to months of street protests and has been the worst
political crisis in Macedonia, which gained independence from the former
Yugoslavia in 1991, since the country survived an ethnic conflict
between government forces and members of the ethnic Albanian minority in
2001.
Gruevski,
who had headed the government since 2006, stepped down earlier this
year as part of a Western-brokered deal to defuse the crisis.
The
agreement included holding early elections, which have been postponed
twice so far. Signed by the heads of the country's four main political
parties, the deal created an interim government that lead Macedonia to
the early vote and established a special prosecution office to examine
the wiretap scandal.
Nearly
1.8 million registered voters are eligible to choose 123 lawmakers for
the unicameral parliament. In all, six political parties and five
coalitions are running, while three parliamentary seats are reserved for
the diaspora.
Gruevski,
46, heads a 25-party coalition titled "For a Better Macedonia" and is
seeking a secure majority of 63 seats by promising 70,000 new jobs and
decreasing the unemployment rate from 24 percent to 17 percent. He
blames the opposition and others for creating the political crisis.
"Millions
of euros have been invested in this scenario and the campaign of the
opposition," Gruevski told supporters in the capital of Skopje. "They do
not think of your well-being or that of the country."
Running
against him is the 42-year-old Zaev, who heads a left-leaning coalition
called "For Life in Macedonia." He has described the election as "a
choice between doom and life" and accuses the conservative government of
massive theft, social injustice and corruption.
"Gruevski understands what is good for himself only, not what is good for the people," he said.
Ethnic
Albanians, meanwhile, comprise a quarter of Macedonia's 2 million
people, and their vote has a considerable influence on the forming of a
new government.
An
ethnic Albanian political party that emerged from former guerrilla
fighters, Democratic Union for Integrations, and the Democratic Party of
Albanians are the main contenders among the ethnic minority.
"Final Rallies Take Place Ahead of Elections"
SKOPJE,
Macedonia (AP) — Eleven political parties and coalitions in Macedonia
are holding final rallies ahead of general elections called to defuse a
nearly two-year political crisis sparked by a wiretapping scandal.
Former
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's center-right VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition
will hold two rallies Friday night in the central towns of Prilep and
Krusevo, while their main political rivals, a leftist coalition led by
the Social Democrats will hold a rally in the capital.
The
early election was part of a Western-brokered agreement to end the
crisis, which emerged when the opposition accused the conservative
government of an illegal wiretapping operation that targeted 20,000
people.
Nearly
1.8 million registered voters are eligible to choose 123 lawmakers for
the single-chamber parliament in Sunday's vote. Three parliamentary
seats are reserved for Macedonians living outside the country.
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