EU hosts democratic election process in northern Macedonia on May 8th

European Union Ambassador to Skopje David Geer said on Saturday that the bloc expects democratic and fair elections in northern Macedonia on May 8th, when the second round of presidential elections will be held, as well as parliamentary elections simultaneously.

Opposition candidate Gordana Silanovska-Davidkova won the first round of presidential elections on Wednesday, insufficient to avoid the second round, where on May 8th she will face incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski.

Geer said he hopes the second part of the election campaign and double elections will be passed into a democratic and peaceful spirit, as O praised SBE/ The ODIHR first run in its preliminary report.

The most important “is... in the first round the elections took place in a generally calm and democratic atmosphere. And, we very much hope that in the second round of presidential elections, as well as in the campaign for parliamentary elections, everyone will commit to completing the process through positive messages in the” campaign, Geer said, Radio Free Europe reported.

He has not commented on speculation that there may be boycotts of presidential elections in the second round in order not to reach the 40 per cent exit threshold to fail the process.

Any other political issue related to the elections, I hope you understand that I will not comment on it in this phase. It is up to citizens to decide the future of the country”, he added.

Seven candidates competed in the first round, including two Albanians, who failed to win enough votes to secure the second round.

Bujar Osmani from the European Front received 13.36 per cent of the vote, while Arben Taravari from the opposition coalition. V LEN 9.21 percent of the vote.

Unofficial reports speak of an LSDM boycott, but also of DUI, even though from the party led by Ali Ahmeti have said they will come up with an attitude on how to operate in the second round.

By Opposition Coalition V LEN have said they will not call for a boycott, as voters are the ones to decide which candidate they will give their vote for.

Osmani and Taravari won about 210,000 votes together in the first round and is believed that, in their absence in the second round, Albanians' votes could play a crucial role in the presidential race between Davkov and Pendarovski, as it had happened five years earlier.