Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: EP delegation to the International Election Observation Mission of early parliamentary elections

Igor Šoltes (Greens/EFA, SI), Head of the European Parliament Delegation to the International Election Observation Mission - the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - early parliamentary elections has made the following statement in Skopje:

“We are very pleased to be here to observe these important early parliamentary elections. The people of this country want, and fully deserve, to see an end to the long period of political crisis and the beginning of a new phase of reforms, accountability, transparency and long-awaited stability and prosperity. In fact for many people these elections are not like previous elections but are seen as make or break elections. We expect the new government to make fresh efforts to improve regional cooperation and build good neighbourly relations.

As you know, the future direction of this country stands very high on the agenda of the European Union and of the European Parliament. We will continue to support the democratic aspirations of its citizens and the next government’s commitment to the reforms set out in the Przino Agreement and the urgent reform priorities. We expect to see a clear signal from the new government that it will work with all political parties in the Parliament to carry out such reforms which are necessary for integration in the Euro-Atlantic institutions. In addition, we call on all parties to provide the necessary support to the Special Prosecutor's Office and its work which must be carried out in full.

The European Parliament delegation subscribes fully to the preliminary statement that has just been presented by Mr Roberto Battelli, the OSCE Special Coordinator, on behalf of the International Election Observation Mission, and I take this opportunity to thank Ms Tana de Zulueta and her team for their cooperation and I commend their excellent work. I would also like to thank my colleagues from other parliamentary assemblies for their productive collaboration. Thanks also to the Head of the EU i Delegation, Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, for his assistance to us during our time in the country. We are here to support all the citizens of this country in achieving their collective democratic aspirations and to overcoming the recent period of political crisis.

First of all, I would like to speak briefly about Election Day, when our delegation deployed throughout the country. Like our colleagues from the other parliamentary assemblies, we were struck by the positiveness of staff at polling stations working to ensure a smooth and professional electoral process. The importance of these elections was also demonstrated by the significant numbers of well organised citizen-observers who participated at all stages of the electoral process and contributed to the transparency of the elections.

An enhanced quota contributed to women representing 41 per cent of candidates. However, we have observed that even though women have demonstrated their wish to play a full role in political life, much needs to be done within political parties because only 4 women topped party lists.

A clear effort was made inside polling stations to facilitate people with disabilities, but accessing the polling stations themselves was less easy.

During our time here, we had the opportunity to listen to various stakeholders representing different political parties, media outlets and non-governmental organisations. We also drew on the findings of experts deployed as long-term observers. Together we identified the main concerns, many of which have been highlighted by previous speakers.

I would like now to focus on one or two of these key findings:

Whilst there has been substantial effort dedicated to cleaning the voter list, there is a need for a sustainable legal solution for the State Electoral Commission to improve the confidence in, and accuracy of, the voter list for future elections. We believe that transparency, accountability and clarity in the legal procedures, including in the complaints and appeals procedure, is essential for building confidence in the electoral management process.

The main political parties agreed temporary arrangements, ending on the eve of the elections, in order to build confidence in the media environment leading-up to the elections. The media environment leading up to the elections was identified as an improvement, however it remains polarised and split along political and ethnic lines. We believe it is essential that the important media reforms foreseen in the Przino Agreement are implemented without delay as a means to improving the media climate over the long-term.

In conclusion and looking to the future - it is clear that the people of this country want to see an end to the protracted political crisis. These elections must be followed-up by the government, and all parties in Parliament, with immediate and serious commitment to reconciliation, accountability and implementing the necessary reforms to put the country back on its Euro-Atlantic integration path.

In the future we would also like to see the political parties reaching out and overcoming old dividing-lines, including ethnic, in order to build an inclusive society for all.

Finally, I believe that the European Parliament should continue to support you throughout the process of implementing crucial reforms. As such, I would like to thank my colleagues Mr Ivo Vajgl i, Mr Eduard Kukan i and Mr Knut Fleckenstein i for their ongoing work and I hope they will continue their important work to support the full implementation of the Przino Agreement and associated reforms.

I will certainly recommend to my colleagues in Brussels that the European Parliament continues to assist the country with the implementation of the reforms in order to ensure the election-results of the Macedonian people are fully implemented. Thank you.”

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Please note that the Statement delivered at the Press Conference is the true version

For further information please contact Gerrard Quille or Nikos Salliarelis from the European Parliament, or nikos.salliarelis@ep.europa.eu

REF. : 20161212IPR55646