Macedonia holds run-off presidential vote amid divisions over name change

Balkan country recently changed its name to end long-running dispute with Greece

A woman casts her ballot in the presidential run-off election at a polling station in Skopje, North Macedonia. AP

Voting in a run-off contest for a new president in North Macedonia began on Sunday, in an election dominated by divisions over a change in the country's name to mollify neighbouring Greece and open the way for Nato and EU membership.

For decades, Greece demanded that the tiny ex-Yugoslav republic change its name from Macedonia, arguing that this implied a territorial claim on a northern Greek province also called Macedonia. The new name was formally ratified earlier this year.

But the accord continues to divide Macedonians and eclipsed all other issues during campaigning in the presidential election, when about 1.8 million voters will choose between two candidates who got through to the second round.

Zizi Markovic, 74, was the first to vote in Skopje when polling stations opened on Sunday morning.

"I am proud to have been the first voter. I expect that after this election North Macedonia will move faster towards the EU and Nato (membership)," she told Reuters after casting her ballot.

The ruling coalition's candidate, a long-serving public official and academic, Stevo Pendarovski, 56, and his main rival, nationalist candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova were neck-and-neck in the first round two weeks ago.

In the run-off, political analysts give the advantage to Mr Pendarovski, who is expected to win support from supporters of the second largest ethnic-Albanian party whose candidate Blerim Reka came third in the first round.

"We are half way to full Nato membership, and in two months we expect a date to begin membership talks with the EU," Mr Pendarovski told supporters at a rally.

"After 10 years Macedonia deserves to have a president who will speed up every positive government policy."

Ms Siljanovska-Davkova, a professor, opposes the name change but is also pro-EU. She accused the government of dragging its feet on economic reforms.

"I expect elections to be peaceful, and a better candidate to win," said pensioner Ljubomir Ilijevski, adding that he voted for Ms Siljanovska-Davkova.

"I could never vote for the one who betrayed our [country's] name," he said, referring to deal with Greece.

The presidency is a largely ceremonial post in North Macedonia but he or she is the supreme commander of the armed forces and also signs off on legislation.

The refusal of outgoing President Gjorge Ivanov, a nationalist, to sign some bills backed by parliament delayed the implementation of key laws, including one on wider use of the Albanian language – 18 years after an ethnic-Albanian uprising that pushed Macedonia to the brink of civil war.

But Mr Ivanov had no authority to block the constitutional amendments passed earlier this year by MPs that paved the way for the name change to North Macedonia.

Low turnout threat

The main concern is that if voter turnout falls below 40 percent in the second round, the election will be declared invalid. In that case, the speaker of parliament would become interim president and new elections would have to be held.

"The ruling coalition voters are disappointed with the pace of reforms, while opposition supporters see that their candidate is not set to win, so many people are likely to stay at home," said Petar Arsovski, an analyst.

Turnout in the first round of voting was 41.6 per cent.

Some opponents of the name change planned to boycott Sunday's vote.

"Vote? Why? Voting means giving legitimacy to the name change. No thanks," said Dejan Temelkovski, 47, a dentist.

"By not choosing a president we are sending a message to all politicians that it is enough."

Polling stations will be open until 7pm local time, with the first preliminary results due two hours later.