Die Präsidentschafts- und Kommunalwahlen in Makedonien 2009
Macedonia’s Presidential and Local Elections in 2009

Summary/Abstract: Macedonian presidential and local elections took place on 22 March, the second round on 5 April 2009. The voter turnout was around 57 % in the first round and 42 % in the second round. There were seven candidates running for President. As mainly expected the candidates of the VMRO-DPMNE, Gjorge Ivanov, and the SDSM, Ljubomir Frchkoski, both being professors at the Faculty of Law and Political Science Department of the St Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, got most of the votes and proceeded in the second round. There Mr. Ivanov took the victory with approximately 60 % of the casted votes. In the local polls, the VMRO-DPMNE won the post of Mayor of Skopje and almost all municipalities in the Macedonian capital. Moreover the conservative party won mayors in 53 municipalities, whereas the SDSM lost dramatically. Generally the elections were held in a peaceful and democratic manner, neither major violence nor any major incidents occurred, unlike during the previous early Parliamentary elections held in June 2008. International and domestic observers, and the international community at large, noted that the elections met the basic democratic standards. The main Presidential and local election outcome is that the conservative party VMRO-DPMNE has now emerged as the main political actor in Macedonia. It has control of the Parliament, the Government; its candidate Gjorge Ivanov is the newly elected 3rd President. The party provides the post of mayors in the capital and about 2/3 of the municipalities around the country. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is at the peak of his political career. He is now the central figure in Macedonia and his political power is virtually unchallenged.

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