Today election silence, citizens in northern Macedonia elect president tomorrow

There are seven candidates in the presidential race. Northern Macedonia has little more than 1 million and 800 thousand registered voters. There is not expected tomorrow to win, while the two candidates with the most votes will pass in the May 8th runoff.

Albanian parties during the campaign, at the centre of the spotlight, had the risk for the country from Russian influence. While the Democratic Union for Integration with the European Front accuses the Albanian opposition of falling prey to the malicious Russian influence manifested through VMRO's presentations, the coalition known as V LEN accuses DUI of being close to the regime of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. But neither side has managed to offer arguments on charges made.

The rhetoric between DUI and VMRO on the other hand has been just as severe. VMRO accuses the Albanian party of corruption, apprehending the state and damaging the interests of the Macedonian people.

Albanian racers Bujar Osmani and Arben Taravari express the conviction that they will move to the runoff, but that can hardly happen. Both coalitions, meanwhile, call themselves winners.

Bujar Osmani said at the closing rally in Skopje's central square that: “As your president, I pledge we will make the European Union member state and it by 2030. I pledge to you for an inseparable alliance with the United States. I pledge the president's election in the double-finished Assembly. I pledge an international board for the Certificate of all public mail carriers for ties to Russia and for corruption”, Mr. Osmani said.

Meanwhile, the coalition's Arben Taravari “Vlen”, speaking from Skenderbe Square in Skopje, said his programme for president would make northern Macedonia a better state for all: “Program has four main pillars. The first, EU integration and not an open Balkans. Second, security and not Russian-Serbian businesses. Third, rule of law, and not corruption and the fourth, consensual democracy and not majorization”.

VMRO-candid The DPMNE has indicated that the time of this constitution has passed and a new constitution is needed where changes would be made in issues of interethnic relations, thus leaving space for the revision of the Ohrid Agreement.

Current President Stevo Penderovski, who vies for a second mandate, says it is unprecedented to approach a lawyer's professor, such as Silanovska, 23 years after the Ohrid Agreement first brought peace and established the foundations of the state and multiethnic society and made the country join NATO and advance towards the EU, contest the document.

My message to them is: Don't play with the fate of Macedonia. These agreements are the foundation of state security. Tell citizens what you intend to do with the living standard in economics, social affairs, the fight against corruption, but don't touch NATO membership in the EU; don't touch the agreements that present the basis of our existence and reconciliation between us, because you lead the country towards a danger zone”, Mr. Pendarovski said during a rally in the City of Monastery.

Maksim Dimitrievski, currently head of the Kumanovo municipality and leader of the party called Z, is also in the race. NAM, Stevce Jakimovski of Citizens' option for Macedonia and current chairman of the Karpos municipality in Skopje; recently designated by the US State Department for High Corruption; and Biljana Vankovska of the nationalist party “E Majta”, which opposes the country's NATO membership and expresses distrust of the European Union.

The presidential race is also seen as a type of electorate access meter for the May 8th parliamentary elections.

Northern Macedonia has little more than 1 million and 800 thousand registered voters. For a contestant for president to win in the first round, 50 per cent is needed, plus one more vote of electorate that must have passed the 40 per cent exit rate at the polls.

That, almost never happened, and the two most votes pass in the runoff after two weeks.

Albanian electorate votes usually define the winner from the ranks of the two largest Macedonian parties, but for that they should call on Albanian parties for whom to vote. / VOA/