Macedonia
local elections
13/03/2005
Macedonian Information Agency, EUBusiness, RFE/RL
Election Summary
Macedonia's local elections in March and April 2005 were widely considered a test of the country's political stability as it prepares to move ahead on the road to EU accession. Voting went peacefully, and the country's prime minister, Vlado Buckovski, hailed the process as a "model" for the future.
International observers also praised the peaceful conduct of the elections, but said there was evidence of irregularities during all three rounds.
According to OSCE monitors, these included group voting, ballot stuffing, stolen ballots, intimidation and violations of voter privacy. The organisation criticised authorities for not addressing the problems adequately, noting that similar irregularities -- often at the same locations -- were observed during all three rounds.
Eighteen mayors were elected during the first round of voting, while another 47 races went to the second round on 27 March. In addition, revoting or delayed voting was held in 19 municipalities, plus the city of Skopje, on 10 April.
In all, 36 of the mayoral races were won by the ruling Together for Macedonia coalition, with the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union of Integration -- a partner of the ruling coalition – won 15. The opposition VMRO-DPMNE won 21. The VMRO-People's Party won 3 mayoral seats, the Democratic Party of Albanians/Party of Democratic Prosperity 2 and the Macedonian Roma Alliance 1. Seven races were won by mayors supported by a voter's bloc.
In the race for the city of Skopje, Trifun Kostovski won with 96,207 votes, defeating Risto Penov, the candidate of SDSM-led coalition, who received 26,052.