North Macedonia to elect president after campaign focused on hot-button issue of EU membership
SKOPJE, North Macedonia -- Voters go to the polls in North Macedonia this week for the first round of the presidential election — the seventh such vote since the small landlocked Balkan country gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.
Seven candidates are vying for the largely ceremonial position in Wednesday's vote. With more than 50% of the country’s 1.8 million registered voters needed for an outright win, the contest is almost certain to head to a second round, which will be held on May 8 along with parliamentary elections. Turnout must be at least 40% in the second round for the result to be valid.
The brief campaigning period has focused on North Macedonia’s progress toward joining the European Union, the rule of law, fighting corruption, combating poverty and tackling the country’s sluggish economy.
The two front-runners, according to opinion polls, are incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski, 61, who is seeking a second five-year term with support from the governing social democrats, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, 70, who is supported by the center-right main opposition VMRO-DPMNE coalition. It will be the second time Siljanovska Davkova is seeking the presidency, after losing it to Pendarovski in 2019.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/north-macedonia-elect-president-after-campaign-focused-hot-109521250
