Macedonia Opposition Claims Victory
Monday, 19 October 1998
S K O P J E , M A C E D O N I A (AP)
AN OPPOSITION coalition claimed victory Monday in Macedonia's elections
but the ex-communist incumbents said results were inconclusive, leaving
the shape of the country's next government unclear.
Regardless of official results to be announced later, the dispute could lead
to political tension in Macedonia, the only former Yugoslav republic that
gained independence without bloodshed in 1992.
The reformist opposition coalition said its vote count from Sunday's
parliamentary elections showed it had far outdistanced all other parties by
winning 44 seats in the 120-seat assembly. With most seats still to be
determined in a second round Nov. 1, such a showing would almost
certainly oust the incumbent government.
But the ruling Social Democrats contended the opposition had clinched
only 15 seats - the same as their own total - arguing that a low turnout
invalidated the others. Turnout in each municipality must be at least
one-third of registered voters in order for results to be valid.
State electoral officials hinted late Monday that they agreed with the
incumbents' interpretation of the complex election law, which would give
the Social Democrats a reprieve from a disastrous defeat.
But electoral commission chief Ljiljana Ristova would not elaborate on the
commission's position, and no results were available. Official results are
required to be released no later than Tuesday, but the dispute raised the
possibility of a delay.
Ethnic Albanian parties said they had won 22 seats.
The incumbents led the country peacefully to independence from
Yugoslavia. But the opposition coalition, comprised of younger politicians,
is striving for radical political and economic reforms.
"This is a great victory, and we hope for an even better outcome in the
second round," Ljuben Paunovski, the opposition coalition's spokesman,
told Macedonian television.
A total of 38 parties contested the elections, all focusing on the country's
economic woes during the campaign.
Macedonia, with a population of about 2 million, was the poorest of all six
republics in the former Yugoslav federation and its economy remains
feeble, with 30 percent unemployment and an average salary of $210 a
month.
Situated near the volatile Serbian province of Kosovo in Yugoslavia,
Macedonia has disputes with all its neighbors. It also has a restive ethnic
Albanian minority. |
