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Election Date: July 5, 2006

At stake: Assembly

Background

Macedonia has been split along ethnic lines since it was a part of Yugoslavia. In 2001, the country came close to a civil war, as representatives of the ethnic Albanian minority became engaged in a series of violent battles that forced many residents to flee. The conflict ended with a new constitution, which guarantees Albanian rights.

The country's name continues to be a matter of debate, as Greece expressed concerns over future territorial claims to one of its provinces, which is also known as Macedonia. Despite the controversy, the two countries signed a trade accord in 1995.

In April 2004, voters elected Social Democratic League of Macedonia (SDSM) member Branko Crvenkovski as their new president. The ballot was called after the untimely demise of president Boris Trajkovski.

Click here for Macedonia 2004 Election Tracker

In December 2006, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia officially became a candidate for European Union (EU) membership. The current timetable suggests that accession negotiations will begin in 2007.

2006 Assembly Election

On Apr. 20, Macedonian political parties agreed to hold the legislative ballot on Jul. 5—almost two months ahead of schedule. In all, 25 parties and 2,620 candidates will participate in the democratic process.

Social Democratic League of Macedonia (SDSM) leader Vlado Buckovski took over as prime minister in December 2004, following the resignation of Hari Kostov over disputes in the coalition government, which includes the SDSM, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI).

The SDSM has been affected by the defection of lawmaker Tito Petkovski, who founded the New Social Democratic Party (NSDP). On Jun. 2, Buckovski presented his platform. The document calls for action to properly integrate Macedonia to the EU, and includes a proposal to raise all pensions by 10 per cent.

The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE) governed from 1998 to 2002, after abandoning its nationalist image in favour of a more inclusive approach. Current leader Nikola Gruevski has also faced internal strife, after former prime minister Lubjo Georgiesvski decided to establish the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - People's Party (VMRO-Narodna). The VMRO-DPME improved its standing in the March 2005 local elections.

The chances of both the SDSM and the VMRO-DPMNE might be defined by Macedonia's ethnic Albanian parties: the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), the Democratic Party of Albanians (PDSH), and the Democratic Prosperity Party (PPD).

BDI chairman Ali Ahmeti has assembled a coalition with the Democratic League of Bosniaks (DLB). BDI member Agron Buxhaku explained the party's view on the post-election coalition, saying, "We know that nobody likes us, but they won't be able to exclude us, either."

On May 30, Macedonian president Branko Crvenkovski claimed that electoral activities had started too early, adding, "The thing that concerns me most are the mutual allegations and the use of negative rhetoric."

On May 31, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) opened its electoral observer mission in Skopje. The 2004 presidential contest was deemed largely consistent with international standards, aside from some isolated irregularities.

On Jun. 27, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) spokesman James Appathurai warned the country about the tone of the campaign, saying, "The on-going violence of the past days and weeks in Macedonia is not good for the electoral process. It is tarnishing Macedonia's image internationally. It is not good for regional security and it is not helping Macedonia's attempts to move closer to NATO."

A poll conducted by the Institute for Democracy placed the VMRO-DPMNE in first place with 29.4 per cent, followed by the SDSM with 21.9 per cent, the BDI with 16.4 per cent, and the PDSH with 9.9 per cent. 42.2 per cent of respondents were undecided.

On Jul. 3, Crvenkovski urged voters to refrain from violence during the election, saying, "We must not allow anyone's ambitions to be more important than the interests and future of Macedonia."

Voting took place on Jul. 5. The OSCE said the ballot met international standards for democratic elections, but added that the campaign had been affected by violence and intimidation.

Final results gave the VMRO-DPMNE 32.5 per cent of the vote, followed by the SDSM with 23.3 per cent. Buckovski conceded defeat, saying, "The opposition got the most votes and support of the citizens. But Macedonia is the main winner as the citizens showed that they could vote in free and fair elections. We want to tell the citizens that we'll be in the parliament to continue to work for Macedonia to be part of the EU integration."

Gruevski declared, "The citizens of Macedonia showed their maturity and made the right decision. Macedonia lost a lot of time in the last 15 years of transition. We have to form a government quickly and to focus on what we have promised our citizens."

On Jul. 19, 29 polling stations in eight Macedonian towns held a repeat vote, after the Supreme Court detected irregularities in the ballot.

On Aug. 16, the 35-year-old Gruevski presented his cabinet, saying, "According to the laws and the constitution of Macedonia, I composed the government, had dialogue with all parties, including BDI, and there is no obligation in the laws or the constitution that I have to include BDI in government's composition."

On Aug. 27, Gruevski officially took over as prime minister.

Political Players

President: Branko Crvenkovski - SDSM
Prime minister: Nikola Gruevski - VMRO-DPMNE

The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote.

Legislative Branch: The Sobranie (Assembly) has 120 members, elected to four-year terms; 85 members are elected in single-seat constituencies, and 35 members are elected by proportional representation.

Results of Last Election:

President - Apr. 14 and Apr. 28, 2004

Assembly - Jul. 5, 2006

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