2008 Macedonian parliamentary election

Early parliamentary elections were held in Macedonia on 1 June 2008, after the Assembly voted to dissolve itself on 12 April 2008. The result was a victory for the VMRO-DPMNE-led alliance, which won 63 of the 120 seats in the Assembly.

2008 Macedonian parliamentary election

1 June 2008
All 120 seats to the Sobranie
Leader Nikola Gruevski Radmila Šekerinska Party VMRO-DPMNE SDSM Last election 45 seats 32 seats Seats won 63 27 Seat change 18 5 Popular vote 481,501 233,284 Percentage 48.78% 23.64%
PM before election Nikola Gruevski VMRO–DPMNE Elected PM Nikola Gruevski VMRO–DPMNE

Background

The early elections were proposed by the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) after Greece vetoed Macedonia's bid to join NATO at the 2008 Bucharest summit over the Macedonia naming dispute. The DUI's request was supported by the ruling coalition of VMRO–DPMNE and the Democratic Party of Albanians. Although the opposition Social Democratic Union and Liberal Democratic Party boycotted the vote, 70 of the 120 MPs voted in favour of the motion, with all others absent from the vote.

Elections had not been due until 2010,[1] and these were the first early elections since independence in 1991.[2]

Campaign

The two major parties formed coalitions before the elections. VMRO-DPMNE formed a coalition called "For a Better Macedonia", whilst the SDSM formed the eight-party "Sun – Coalition for Europe" alliance.[3]

For a Better Macedonia

The For a Better Macedonia coalition included VMRO-DPMNE, the Socialist Party of Macedonia, the Democratic Union, Democratic Renewal of Macedonia, the Democratic Party of Turks, the Democratic Party of Serbs, the Union of Roma in Macedonia, VMRO-Macedonia, the United Party for Emancipation, the Party of Justice, the Party of Democratic Action of Macedonia, the Party of Vlachs of Macedonia, the Party for Roma Integration, the People's Movement of Macedonia, the Democratic Party of the Bosniaks, the Party of the Greens, the Democratic Union of the Roma, the Workers' Agricultural Party of the Republic of Macedonia, and the Party for the Full Emancipation of the Roma of Macedonia.

Sun – Coalition for Europe

Sun – Coalition for Europe included the SDSM, the New Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party of Macedonia, the New Alternative, the Green Party of Macedonia, the Party of Pensioners of the Republic of Macedonia and the Democratic Union of Vlachs in Macedonia.

Opinion polls

According to a poll of 1,108 citizens taken between 11 April and 15 April 2008, VMRO-DPMNE had a 29% rating, followed by SDSM with 11% and DUI with 10%.[4] A poll from 24 April and 25 April 2008 gave VMRO-DPMNE 26%, SDSM 12%, DUI 11% and DPA 7%.[5]

Other polls saw For a Better Macedonia lead with 37% to Sun's 18%, followed by DUI with 11% and DPA with 6%.[6]

Conduct

The tense elections involved episodes of violence, mostly between rival ethnic Albanian parties, the DUI and DPA. Shootings were reported in the Albanian-populated North-West of the country.[7] A gunman opened fire on a Macedonian police unit patrolling the village of Aračinovo, north of the capital Skopje.[8] One person was killed and several were wounded.[9]

The situation appeared to have calmed down by the time polls closed at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT).[10]

There were also reports of ballot stuffing and allegations of fraud in villages around Skopje during the early hours of voting.[11]

Due to violence on the polling day, polling had to be repeated in parts of three election districts (193 polling stations out of 2,976)[12][13] on 15 June 2008; about 170,000 voters were eligible to vote in the rerun,[14] and the results determined which of the two main Albanian parties will join VMRO–DPMNE in government.[15]

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats
For a Better Macedonia	481,501	48.78	63
Sun – Coalition for Europe	233,284	23.64	27
Democratic Union for Integration	126,522	12.82	18
Democratic Party of Albanians	81,557	8.26	11
Party for a European Future	14,474	1.47	1
Party for Democratic Prosperity	7,213	0.73	0
Democratic Union of Albanians	6,484	0.66	0
Social Democratic Party of Macedonia	6,406	0.65	0
Party of Free Democrats	4,362	0.44	0
Radical Party of the Serbs in Macedonia	4,326	0.44	0
Fatherland's Macedonian Organization for Radical Renewal – Vardar-Egej-Pirin	4,317	0.44	0
Movement for National Unity of Turks	3,782	0.38	0
Union of Tito's Left Forces	3,758	0.38	0
Group of Electors Panco Minov	2,744	0.28	0
VMRO–Democratic Party	2,335	0.24	0
Permanent Macedonian Radical Unification	1,856	0.19	0
National Democratic Union	1,654	0.17	0
Peco Grujovski Group of Electors	449	0.05	0
Invalid/blank votes	28,173	–	–
Total	1,015,164	100	120
Registered voters/turnout	1,779,116	57.06	–
Source: State Election Commission, SE Times, IHT

Aftermath

The Party for Democratic Prosperity announced after the election on 3 June 2008 that it would merge with the DPA, effectively making the DPA the larger of the two main Albanian parties and increasing its chances in the repeated elections.[16]

References

1. Macedonia to hold early election BBC News, 12 April 2008
2. "Изборите закажани за 1 јуни (Elections appointed on 1 June)". A1 News (in Macedonian). 2008-04-12. Archived from the original on 2008-04-13. Retrieved 2002-04-13.
3. Macedonia's VMRO-DPMNE sign pre-election coalition deal with 18 small parties (SETimes.com)
4. "A1 News poll". Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
5. Governing VMRO-DPMNE First in Macedonia: Angus Reid Global Monitor Archived 2008-05-07 at the Wayback Machine
6. Campaigning officially begins in Macedonia (SETimes.com)
7. BBC NEWS | Europe | Macedonian poll marred by unrest
8. Tompsett, R. (2008-06-01). "Violence mars election day in Macedonia". France 24. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
9. "Deadly gun attack mars Macedonian elections". AFP. 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
10. Macedonia PM wins election in shadow of violence - Mirror.co.uk
11. "Shootings mar Macedonia polls". Al Jazeera. 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
12. "Macedonia: Number of re-vote polling stations goes high - dtt-net.com". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
13. Macedonia to stage election re-run due to irregularities - People's Daily Online
14. Mazedonien annulliert Wahlergebnisse in 193 Wahllokalen (International, NZZ Online)
15. Macedonia to conduct revote in 193 polling stations (SETimes.com)
16. Makfax vesnik