Macedonian parliamentary election, 2006

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The parliamentary election, 2006 in the Republic of Macedonia was held on 5 July 2006. The winner was the coalition led by the centre-right VMRO-DPMNE.

[edit] Campaign

For the 2006 Parliamentary Elections, the international community sent 6,000 observers to monitor electoral procedures. [1] [2], as NATO and EU officials saw the elections as a key test of Macedonian ambitions of joining both organizations after local elections in March 2005 were marred by irregularities. The 2006 election campaign was marked by serious cross-political confrontations, occasionally resulting in violence, mainly between, but not limited to, the two major ethnic Albanian parties - the Democratic Union for Integration and the Democratic Party of Albanians. The situation was seen as seriously tarnishing the international reputation of the country. As the confrontations between the ethnic Albanian parties intensified, a diplomatic offensive from Western officials took place to put an end to the irregularities. These efforts were supported by the ethnic Macedonian parties, but also by calls from the Albanian and Kosovo's prime minister [3]. The situation within the Albanian bloc didn't seem to improve much and, moreover, on 22 June 2006 in the center of Skopje, a clash between the two major ethnic Macedonian parties (VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM) also took place.

The representatives of the EU and the United States continued with their efforts to stop the irregularities. NATO warned it over pre-election violence or risk delays the country's ambitions to join the military alliance. (NATO intervention in 2001 helped prevent ethnic conflict developing into full-scale civil war.) Problems within the Macedonian bloc stopped immediately, and incidents between the Albanian parties also progressively stopped. The last week of the election campaign was calm, with almost no incidents.

[edit] Outcome

There were no major problems on the election day (5 July 2006), with only minor irregularities in the Western part of the country. The counting of the votes also passed almost without any objections. The government of the Republic of Macedonia, the EU and the United States dubbed the elections "a success".

The results showed a clear victory for the ethnic Macedonian centre-right opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, obtaining 45 of the 120 seats in the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia. It's centre-left political opponent, SDSM, won 35 seats. The majority of Albanian votes were given to the DUI - PDP coalition (17 seats), while DPA won 11 seats. Other parties that won seats in the Parliament include: NSDP (7 seats), VMRO-NP (6 seats), DOM (1 seat), PEI (1 seat).

After the unsuccessful negotiations between VMRO-DPMNE and DUI considering the structure of the new government, Nikola Gruevski (VMRO-DPMNE's leader and current Prime Minister (as of August 28th), decided that he would favor it's traditional Albanian parter - DPA. After a tough negotiation process (especially between VMRO-DPMNE and NSDP), in August 2006, Gruevski announced that the new government will be composed of VMRO-DPMNE, DPA, NSDP, DOM, and PEI (65 seats in the Parliament, in total).

The DUI - PDP coalition, revolted because they have not been invited in the new government, started protests throughout the Albanian-dominated parts of the country.

[edit] Results

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 5 July 2006 Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia election results
Parties and coalitions Votes % (p.r.) Seats
Coalition: Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization–Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity
(Vnatrešno-Makedonska Revoluciona Organizacija-Demokratska Partija za Makedonsko Nacionalno Edinstvo)
304.585 32.51 45
Liberal Party of Macedonia (Liberalna Partija na Makedonija)
Socialist Party of Macedonia (Socijalisticka Partija na Makedonija)
Democratic Union (Demokratski sojuz)
Party for the Movement of Turks in Macedonia (Partija za Dviženje na Turcite vo Makedonija)
Union of Roma in Macedonia (Sojuz na Romite na Makedonija)
Party of Democratic Action of Macedonia (Stranka na Demokratska Akcija na Makedonija)
Party of Vlachs of Macedonia (Stranka na Vlasite od Makedonija)
European Party of Macedonia (Evropska Partija na Makedonija)
Party of the Green (Partija na Zelenite)
People's Movement of Macedonia (Narodno Dviženje za Makedonija)
Democratic Party of the Bosniaks (Bošnjačka Demokratska Partija)
Party of the Democratic Forces of Roma in Macedonia (Partija na Demokratskite Sili na Romite na Makedonija)
Party for Roma Integration (Partija za Integracija na Romite)
Together for Macedonia
(Za Makedonija zaedno)
Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (Socijaldemokratski Sojuz na Makedonija) 218,463 23.31 32
Liberal Democratic Party (Liberalno-Demokratska Partija)
Democratic Party of Turks (Demokratska Partija na Turcite)
United Party of Romas in Macedonia (Obedinita Partija na Romite na Makedonija)
Democratic Party of Serbs (Demokratska Partija na Srbite)
Democratic Union of Vlachs (Demokratski Sojuz na Vlasite)
Workers-Peasant Party (Rabotnicka Zemjodelska Partija)
Socialist Christian Party of Macedonia (Socialisticka Hristijanska Partija na Makedonija)
Green Party of Macedonia (Zelena Partija na Makedonia )
Coalition: Democratic Union for Integration (Demokratska Unija za Integracija) 113,803 12.15 17
Party for Democratic Prosperity (Partia e prosperiteti demokratike /Partija za Demokratski Prosperitet)
Democratic League of Bosniaks (Demokratska Liga na Bošnjacite)
Democratic Party of Albanians (Partia Demokratike Shqiptare/Demokratska Partija na Albancite) 70.317 7.21 11
VMRO-People's Party (VMRO-Narodna PartijaNacionala Demokratska Partija) 57,077 5.85 6
New Social Democratic Party (Nova Socijaldemokratska Partija) 56,624 5.81 7
Democratic Renewal of Macedonia (Demokraticka Obnova na Makedonija) 17,364 1.78 1
Party for European Future (Partija za Evropska Idnina) 12,718 1.30 1
Agricultural People's Party of Macedonia (Zemjodelska Narodna Partija na Makedonia) 12,718 1.30 0
Democratic Alternative (Demokratska Alternativa) 11,067 1.14 0
Total (turnout 55.98 %) 933,438 100.0 120
Source: State election commission. Only parties and coalitions with more than 1 % of the vote are listed.
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