Monitors say revote in Macedonia a "considerable improvement"

18/06/2008

Foreign and domestic observers credited a heavy police presence for the improvement of the June 15th revote in Macedonia.

By Marina Stojanovska for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 18/06/08

A revote was held at nearly 200 polling stations on Sunday (June 15th). [Tomislav Georgiev]

Still imperfect, but an improvement over the June 1st election, was the general characterisation of Sunday's (June 15th) partial revote in Macedonia. Four polling stations will see yet another revote on June 29th because of continuing irregularities. The OSCE mission said June 15th "gave voters in areas affected by serious irregularities on June 1st the opportunity to express their will in a secure and generally calmer environment".

However, "cases of tensions and intimidation remained evident ... Notably, many of those responsible for previously committed election related offences and violence remain to be held accountable."

The Macedonian government conducted the revote at 187 polling stations in the first, second and sixth election units.

OSCE officials acknowledged the calmer atmosphere but faulted the country for still failing basic election standards. "Yesterday's elections showed remarkable improvement with regard to ... security. I hope and expect that this indicates that the country is willing to address the range of democratic challenges that remain," special co-ordinator of OSCE short-term observers Pia Christmas-Moeller said on Monday.

"More needs to be done by the state institutions ... including the removal of party activists from senior police functions. Otherwise, the culture of impunity which prevails in the ethnically Albanian areas will continue, and an overwhelming police presence will be required" in future elections, said US Ambassador Robert Barry, head of the OSCE/ODIHR long-term observation mission.

The US Embassy in Macedonia also weighed in. "We commend law enforcement authorities for their effective and professional conduct, and for their readiness to enforce the law, regarding acts of violence or intimidation near polling stations," said US Ambassador to Macedonia Gillian Milovanovic in a written statement.

The MOST Citizens' Association, which brought the most observers to the polls, assessed the revote as peaceful, albeit with a heavy police presence. However, it reported serious violations of election rules.

"MOST observers noted a considerable number of cases of family voting and voting without proper documents, mostly in the sixth election unit," said MOST President Darko Aleksov.

Observed irregularities such as stolen ballots will force a second revote on June 29th at four polling stations serving 3,000 voters. That revote potentially could determine one parliamentary seat.

According to results announced by the State Election Commission, the For a Better Macedonia coalition, led by VMRO-DPMNE, will have 63 seats in the next parliament. The Sun Coalition for Europe will have 27 representatives; the Albanian Union for Integration will have 18; and the Democratic Party of Albanians will have 11 representatives. The leader of the Party for a European Future, Fiat Canovski, will get one seat.