Post by Bozur on Apr 10, 2005 17:47:04 GMT -5
FYROM gets bad marks
By Konstantin Testorides - The Associated Press
SKOPJE - International monitors sharply criticized the government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia yesterday, citing “widespread irregularities” in municipal elections.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Sunday’s second-round voting in mayoral elections occurred in a “generally orderly manner” but was fraught with problems, including instances of ballot-box stuffing and proxy voting.
Prime Minister Buckovski said there were “isolated irregularities” but called the overall vote successful. FYROM, a tiny landlocked country of 2.1 million people, is struggling to improve democratic institutions as part of an effort to join NATO and, eventually, the European Union.
The first round of local elections was held on March 13.
Many of the voting problems occurred in western parts of the country where rival ethnic Albanian parties — the DPA and DUI — accused one another of trying to disrupt the elections.
“The persistent and widespread irregularities... give rise to serious concern, threaten the integrity of the whole process and must be addressed as a matter of urgency,” said Julian Peel Yates, head of the 260-member OSCE observer mission. The OSCE, EU officials and the US State Department had urged the FYROM government to sort out first-round problems.
Yesterday’s report by the OSCE said procedures were “bad” or “very bad” in 14 percent of the polling stations observed, including intimidation outside polling stations. It cited 30 cases of ballot-box stuffing and more than 50 cases of proxy voting.
Buckovski said yesterday his country was under the international community’s “magnifying glass.”
“The general assessment is that democracy won yesterday and that Macedonia is going forward... We have to improve the process, showing that the rule of law is functioning in the country.”
According to preliminary results announced yesterday by the state election commission, the Social Democratic-led ruling coalition has now won 36 mayors and the center-right VMRO 19.
Newcomer ethnic Albanian party DUI got 11 mayors, and the traditionally strong DPA — which urged a second-round boycott — only two.
The state election commission said turnout Sunday was 52.6 percent.
www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=54532
By Konstantin Testorides - The Associated Press
SKOPJE - International monitors sharply criticized the government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia yesterday, citing “widespread irregularities” in municipal elections.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Sunday’s second-round voting in mayoral elections occurred in a “generally orderly manner” but was fraught with problems, including instances of ballot-box stuffing and proxy voting.
Prime Minister Buckovski said there were “isolated irregularities” but called the overall vote successful. FYROM, a tiny landlocked country of 2.1 million people, is struggling to improve democratic institutions as part of an effort to join NATO and, eventually, the European Union.
The first round of local elections was held on March 13.
Many of the voting problems occurred in western parts of the country where rival ethnic Albanian parties — the DPA and DUI — accused one another of trying to disrupt the elections.
“The persistent and widespread irregularities... give rise to serious concern, threaten the integrity of the whole process and must be addressed as a matter of urgency,” said Julian Peel Yates, head of the 260-member OSCE observer mission. The OSCE, EU officials and the US State Department had urged the FYROM government to sort out first-round problems.
Yesterday’s report by the OSCE said procedures were “bad” or “very bad” in 14 percent of the polling stations observed, including intimidation outside polling stations. It cited 30 cases of ballot-box stuffing and more than 50 cases of proxy voting.
Buckovski said yesterday his country was under the international community’s “magnifying glass.”
“The general assessment is that democracy won yesterday and that Macedonia is going forward... We have to improve the process, showing that the rule of law is functioning in the country.”
According to preliminary results announced yesterday by the state election commission, the Social Democratic-led ruling coalition has now won 36 mayors and the center-right VMRO 19.
Newcomer ethnic Albanian party DUI got 11 mayors, and the traditionally strong DPA — which urged a second-round boycott — only two.
The state election commission said turnout Sunday was 52.6 percent.
www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=54532