Skopje, 30 April 2024 (MIA) – State Election Commission (SEC) President Aleksandar Dashtevski tells MIA in an interview that intense preparations are under way ahead of the second round of the presidential elections and the parliamentary elections on May 8. Dashetvski explains the voting procedure since voters in next week’s double elections can vote only once at a polling station. He also calls on voters to exercise their right to vote on May 8 in a dignified manner without pressure in order the country to have fair, democratic and free elections. 

“Since the second round [of the presidential elections] are coming, some procedure have been already completed in the first round, the preparations are being completed really smoothly. Last Friday, we defined how the ballot will look in the second round, and the ballots for the parliamentary elections are already being printed. The minutes and other confidential materials are almost done, which means the preparation is uninterrupted,” says Dashtevski. 

Biometric fingerprint devices after being emptied are once again updated with data ahead of the second round, the SEC head adds, noting that people hired to work for the elections have been working really hard even for the weekends in order everything to the prepared. 

He also mentions the positive assessment of SEC by the OSCE/ODIHR. 

“One of the few highlights of the OSCE/ODIHR report is the organization’s high assessment of the SEC saying it had done a good job, which wasn’t the cases with other state bodies. When the right people are appointed for the right job, the work gets done really well, which should be the norm here, not an exception,” says Dashtevski. 

The State Election Commission adopted a set of instructions informing the voters they can vote at a polling station only once. In the interview with MIA, Dashtevski says the citizens should be explained that they have the right to vote for both elections and either for the parliamentary or the presidential elections. The citizens should know that there is election threshold for the presidential elections. 

“Voters should be explained really well and asked whether they want to vote in the presidential or the parliamentary elections or in both. They should know that they have the right to vote in both elections so there is an election threshold is met,” says Dashtevski.  

It is possible the election results to be unveiled at midnight on May 8 having in mind the changes made by the SEC recently and the experience from past elections, says the head of the highest electoral body in the country. 

“We’ve made efforts in preparation of these elections, including strengthening the software to process more information and training more people on the ground. We trained some 1,700 people to record data, we provided 1,700 laptops in cooperation with the State Statistical Office as well as tablets… I have to mention that since we have double elections, not everything can be efficient, but it will be pretty efficient in the second round,” says Dashtevski. 

Since Easter is this coming weekend, and election deadlines coincide with the holiday, the SEC President says that certain activities will be completed sooner so as to allow the electoral administration and the people hired for the elections, more than 35,000, to be with their families this Easter holiday.

Furthermore, Dashtevski says he expects the second round of the elections to take place in good atmosphere. 

“I’ve been saying that we need to complete our duties because we couldn’t predict how some election participants may act… It may seem we are not doing much, but we’re in permanent contact with the coordinators, sector heads, the municipal election commission, etc,” he says. 

Dashtevski in the interview calls on the voters to contribute to free, fair and democratic elections. 

“A message to the voters – go to the polling stations in a peaceful and dignified manner to vote for a party of your choice, made without pressure. Cast your vote freely in fair, democratic elections to demonstrate we’re up to the task and to show that we know what democracy is."

On the diaspora voting for the presidential elections, the SEC President says he has his own opinion, noting the issue of the diaspora voting should be solved after an agreement reached by the largest political parties and regulated by the Justice Ministry and the Parliament. 

A small number of voters in the diaspora registered to vote in the April 24 presidential elections. Not enough voters registered for the coming parliamentary elections.

“Parliamentary elections will not be held in diplomatic offices across the country and a really small number of voters have been registered for the presidential elections. That is 2,400 in diplomatic offices worldwide and only a half of those votes, meaning there is zero efficiency… I believe we should find another method allowing the diaspora to vote and to be represented in Parliament,” Dashtevski tells MIA. 

Elizabeta Veljanovska Najdeska

Translated by Bisera Altiparmakova - Marusic 

Photo: MIA

Video and editing: Andrej Brankovikj and Vladimir Rabasovikj