Macedonia Holds Peaceful Elections
By CCD Staff, July 11, 2006

Although the election campaign saw bouts of violence, Macedonia’s July 5th elections were conducted peacefully, though a few irregularities did occur, reported BBC News.

Some polling places reported ballot stuffing and one was almost set on fire, but the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which was monitoring the process, reported the election “largely met international election norms."

"I believe we are going to get a positive assessment from Brussels that will allow us to continue our path towards the EU and Nato," Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski said after voting.

Macedonia was granted EU candidate status in December 2005, and the July 5th elections were seen by other states as a test of the country’s democracy. Its membership to both the EU and NATO were in jeopardy because of “almost nightly violent incidents,” including shootings at political rallies and attacks on campaign offices, according to BBC News.

Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski of the ruling social Democratic Union conceded defeat five hours after the polls closed on July 6 to Nikola Gruevski of the VMRO-DPMNE party, according to the Washington Post. VMRO-DPMNE now was the majority of seats in parliament, but is expected to form a coalition with another party to obtain a wider majority.
"The top priority of the government will be integration into the E.U. Our government will focus on improving the economic situation, to fight corruption and crime and raise the standard of living," Gruevski said.