Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2016 16:53:04 GMT
The Macedonian election on 11th December is the result of a ton of bizarre scandals and massive protests throughout both 2015 and 2016. They were originally planned for first 24th April and then 5th June, so its the third attempt (third time's the charm?).
They are the result of an EU brokered peace deal (the Przino Agreement) between right wing Macedonian Nationalist PM Nikola Gruevski and his Albanian and ex-Communist opponents. In October last year a transitional unity government was installed including the PMs right wing Nationalist VMRO-DPMNE (VRMO - the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization was originally the name of a pre-WW1 liberation movement/terror organisation (depending on your view..), and the new VRMO claims "spiritual descent" from it, and the Social Democratic Union (SDSM), which is a typical post-Cold War 1991 relaunch of the ruling Communists. The ex-Commies are usually significantly more tolerant towards ethnic minorities than the VMRO.
There are 123 seats in the Assembly of the Republic. 120 to be elected from six multi-member constituencies with 20 seats each (so a de facto threshold in each constituency of close to 5%) using closed list PR and d'Hondt. Plus three of the usual Balkan diaspora seats with FPTP: Europe & Africa, the Americas and Asia & Australia.
The 2014 election got the following result (with current tally in brackets):
VPMO-DPMNE 43.0% 61 (now 57)
Social Democratic Union (SDSM) 25.3 34 (now 37)
Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) 13.7 19 (now 17)
Democratic Party of Albanians (PDSH) 5.9 7 (nc)
Citizen Option for Macedonia (GROM) 2.8 1 (nc)
National Democratic Revival (RDK) 1.6 1 (nc)
Others:
Democratic Union (DS) 2 (VRMO affiliated in 2014)
Democratic Renewal of Macedonia (DOM) 1 (VRMO affiliated in 2014)
Minor parties:
Albanians:
The Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) is the political arm of the former National Liberation Army (Ushtria Çlirimtare Kombëtare - UÇK), which was founded by former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander Ali Ahmeti (57), who still leads them, after the 2001 Ohrid agreement that ended a small scale civil war/insurgency (depending on yur POV) between the security forces and UÇK. Its a SoCon/Islamist Albanian nationalist party.
The Democratic Party of Albanians (PDSH) is a right-wing populist, but fairly secular Albanian Nationalist party, that was in coalition with VRMO 2006-08. It is led by Menduh Thaçi (51), who also partook in the 2001 insurgency (and has Kosovarian parents).
The National Democratic Revival (RDK) is the Macedonian branch of the Democratic League of Kosovo, but a bit more SoCon/Islamist than them. Economically liberal.
Others:
The Citizen Option for Macedonia (GROM, which means Thunder in Macedonian) is a nominally "Liberal" centrist party led by former Social Democratic Union member Stevčo Jakimovski, who is mayor of Karpoš. He formed a bizarre electoral alliance of Liberals, Titoists and right wing Serbian Nationalist and managed to secure a seat in the Assembly.
Democratic Union (DS) is a small until recently VRMO affiliated law & order party led by former Tito-era securocrat Pavel Trajanov (63), who was Minister of the Interior 1998-99.
Democratic Renewal of Macedonia (DOM) is a small (Mango) Green party led by Liljana Popovska, which was affiliated with VRMO to get representation, but has now broken away. Fond of organic agriculture, feminism, human rights and direct democracy (but not more than allying with VRMO).
They are the result of an EU brokered peace deal (the Przino Agreement) between right wing Macedonian Nationalist PM Nikola Gruevski and his Albanian and ex-Communist opponents. In October last year a transitional unity government was installed including the PMs right wing Nationalist VMRO-DPMNE (VRMO - the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization was originally the name of a pre-WW1 liberation movement/terror organisation (depending on your view..), and the new VRMO claims "spiritual descent" from it, and the Social Democratic Union (SDSM), which is a typical post-Cold War 1991 relaunch of the ruling Communists. The ex-Commies are usually significantly more tolerant towards ethnic minorities than the VMRO.
There are 123 seats in the Assembly of the Republic. 120 to be elected from six multi-member constituencies with 20 seats each (so a de facto threshold in each constituency of close to 5%) using closed list PR and d'Hondt. Plus three of the usual Balkan diaspora seats with FPTP: Europe & Africa, the Americas and Asia & Australia.
The 2014 election got the following result (with current tally in brackets):
VPMO-DPMNE 43.0% 61 (now 57)
Social Democratic Union (SDSM) 25.3 34 (now 37)
Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) 13.7 19 (now 17)
Democratic Party of Albanians (PDSH) 5.9 7 (nc)
Citizen Option for Macedonia (GROM) 2.8 1 (nc)
National Democratic Revival (RDK) 1.6 1 (nc)
Others:
Democratic Union (DS) 2 (VRMO affiliated in 2014)
Democratic Renewal of Macedonia (DOM) 1 (VRMO affiliated in 2014)
Minor parties:
Albanians:
The Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) is the political arm of the former National Liberation Army (Ushtria Çlirimtare Kombëtare - UÇK), which was founded by former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander Ali Ahmeti (57), who still leads them, after the 2001 Ohrid agreement that ended a small scale civil war/insurgency (depending on yur POV) between the security forces and UÇK. Its a SoCon/Islamist Albanian nationalist party.
The Democratic Party of Albanians (PDSH) is a right-wing populist, but fairly secular Albanian Nationalist party, that was in coalition with VRMO 2006-08. It is led by Menduh Thaçi (51), who also partook in the 2001 insurgency (and has Kosovarian parents).
The National Democratic Revival (RDK) is the Macedonian branch of the Democratic League of Kosovo, but a bit more SoCon/Islamist than them. Economically liberal.
Others:
The Citizen Option for Macedonia (GROM, which means Thunder in Macedonian) is a nominally "Liberal" centrist party led by former Social Democratic Union member Stevčo Jakimovski, who is mayor of Karpoš. He formed a bizarre electoral alliance of Liberals, Titoists and right wing Serbian Nationalist and managed to secure a seat in the Assembly.
Democratic Union (DS) is a small until recently VRMO affiliated law & order party led by former Tito-era securocrat Pavel Trajanov (63), who was Minister of the Interior 1998-99.
Democratic Renewal of Macedonia (DOM) is a small (Mango) Green party led by Liljana Popovska, which was affiliated with VRMO to get representation, but has now broken away. Fond of organic agriculture, feminism, human rights and direct democracy (but not more than allying with VRMO).
