28,89% voter turnout until 15h


From 7 o’clock this morning until 15 o’clock, a total of 396,252 citizens voted in today’s presidential elections. It is a total turnout of 28.89 percent. SEC President Oliver Derkovski informed about the turnout in some of the municipalities: Aerodrom 35.45%, Aracinovo 14.75, Berovo 34.75, Bitola 32.82, Bogovinje 12.12%, Butel 29.24, Valandovo 32.5, Veles 32.11, […]

Jonker: It’s not the results that are important, but if the procedures are respected


Corien Jonker, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, refraining from any early presidential election assessments, said the international monitors were more interested in the procedures than in the outcome. “We observe if the elections are organized in line with democratic international standards for elections,” Jonker told reporters at Brakja Ramiz-Hamid elementary school in Shuto […]

Election turnout reaches 20 percent, lowest turnout in majority Albanian municipalities


According to the SEC, turnout at the presidential elections by 13:00, by more than 75% of the polling stations, was 20.45%, but the difference in voting turnout in the municipalities with the majority Macedonian population, vis-à-vis the municipalities with majority Albanian population, where the turnout is very low. At SEC’s second press conference, during the […]

419 foreign and 3,150 local obesrvers monitor the presidential elections


To monitor the voting at polling stations, the counting of ballots, and the summing up of results in the 2019 North Macedonia presidential election, 3,150 local and 419 foreign observers have been deployed throughout the country. Local observers include MOST, a local civic association founded in 2002, monitoring the elections with 1,940 observers. Next, Mak-Sonce, […]

Citizens of North Macedonia vote for the country’s fift President


The 6th presidential elections take place Sunday in the Republic of North Macedonia. The three candidates running for president include Stevo Pendarovski, who is the joint candidate of the ruling SDSM and DUI, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, who is the candidate chosen by the right-wing opposition VMRO DPMNE party and Blerim Reka, who is supported by the […]

Are Scandinavian Elections Possible?


Erol Rizaov Scandinavian, or at least decent European elections, would be the best recommendation not only for starting accession negotiations with the EU, but also the strongest evidence of the European affiliation and aspiration of North Macedonia in cultural, civilizational, political, economic and geographical terms. Credible presidential elections would best confirm the size and significance […]

Let’s go out and vote, everything is ready


The State Election Commission is ready to hold the presidential elections, whose first round is scheduled for Sunday. The voting material produced by the Bitola-based printing office Kiro Dandaro arrived in Skopje, from where it will be deployed through 80 municipal election commissions throughout the country. “Everything is going smoothly and I think that on […]

Doctors’ duels – X-ray for the parties


While most of the country will watch the presidential race on Sunday, there will be a local competition in Ohrid, Novo Selo and Debar. A total of nine candidates will fight for the three mayoral posts that remained vacant after the premature deaths of the first people in Ohrid and Debar, and the criminal background […]

NGOs in North Macedonia concerned about the lack of reforms


Civil society in North Macedonia has voiced its concern about the lack of reforms in the judicial system and public administration. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights says that reforms in the judicial system are not transparent and that political parties use them as an instrument to bargain with each other. Uranija Pirovska, representative of […]

Deskoska: Differences between government and opposition on the SPO law remain


The key differences between the ruling authorities and the opposition on law on public prosecutor’s office, which is to solve the future status of the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO), remain, said Justice Minister Renata Treneska – Deskoska. “The key differences refer to the continuation of the trial proceedings initiated by SPO, the use of the […]

RSF’s report: Culture of impunity in North Macedonia is well-entrenched


North Macedonia ranks 95th according to the latest world ranking of Reporters without Borders for the freedom of information. According to the report released by this organization, “although the situation stabilised in 2018, the new government has yet to amend public broadcast media law, contrary to what it announced when it took power in 2017”, adding […]

Bosnjakovski: Talks between government and opposition on public prosecution law continue


Talks continue between the ruling majority and the opposition over the public prosecution law, which also regulates the future status of the Special Public Prosecution, Government Spokesperson Mile Bosnjakovski said at today’s press conference. “The latest information I have regarding the talks,” Bosnjakovski said, “is that the amendments submitted by VMRO-DPMNE to the Ministry of […]

The presidential threshold must be re-examined


It is questionable whether the creators of the Constitution of Macedonia at the very beginning of the country’s independence, when it was being prepared, considered that the high turnout threshold for the election of head of state would be difficult to reach in the next decade, and will open up space for various political maneuvers […]

Ahmeti supports Stevo, but he doesn’t chant his name


Talking about the equitable representation of women in the leadership of the party and state institutions, as well as the consequences that would arise if President Gjorge Ivanov signs an abolition for the convicted for the April 27 case, DUI leader Ali Ahmeti at the Election Assembly of the women’s party forum once again forgot […]

IBNA Interview with opposition presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova


After interviews with presidential candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, who has been nominated by ruling party SDSM, and independent candidate, Blerim Reka, IBNA news agency has also held an interview with VMRO-DPMNE backed candidate, Gordana Siljanovska-Kavkova. In this interview, she talks about her challenges as candidate in the presidential race, the fact that she’s against the Prespa […]

150.000 EUR were stolen from the NLB Bank


The armed robbers of the NLB bank branch office in Cair took 150.000 EUR, said the bank today. Three bank employees were injured in the attack, but have been released for home treatment. Police found the vehicle which the robbers used burnt outside of the city. The bank is cooperating with the law enforcement authorities […]

Veljanoski summoned over ‘April 27’ case


Former Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski was summoned Tuesday at the public prosecutor’s office for organized crime and corruption to review evidence in the ‘April 27’ case, stated the prosecutor’s office. Exiting the prosecution’s offices, Veljanoski briefly spoke to members of the media saying he had been summoned by the prosecution. He fell short of providing […]

Dimitrov misses Pendarovski’s campaign


Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov wrote on Friday that the Ministerial meeting within the Berlin Process in Warsaw was over, and that his next stop was – home. Since the start of the campaign for the forthcoming presidential elections, the head of diplomacy, who was competing with Stevo Pendarovski for getting the status of a candidate […]

Early general elections in North Macedonia are seen as an option


The opposition has called for early parliamentary elections to be held a few months after the holding of presidential elections. Such request has been articulated by VMRO-DPMNE’s presidential candidate, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. “Victory in the presidential elections will give way to early parliamentary elections. The new government will launch reforms and will demand for the country’s […]