Eurasia Press & News
The political rhetoric at the presidential and local poll campaign in Macedonia has so far been correct with only minor incidents occurring, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, said Sunday.
In its second pre-election report for the campaign before the March 22 presidential and local election, the OSCE said preparations for election day are going well, but noted that the State Election Commission faces trouble finding qualified personnel for conducting the vote.
The training for the municipal election committees is running late, while the one for the state commission is under way, the OSCE said.
It also noted that monitors had recorded and confirmed media reports of pressure directed mainly at the public administration employees.
The State Election Commission said it will launch a last minute education for voters, baring in mind that these polls will be the most complex ever staged in the country’s almost two decades long democratic history.
On the election day nearly 1.8 million voters will chose a president, will elect 83 municipality mayors as well as municipal councilors. The confusion is expected to be biggest in the capital where the voters will have to cast five separate ballots.
The OSCE will monitor this election with 300 observers, while the home observers have employed over 2,000 monitors for the Election Day.
These elections are crucial for the democratic image of the country after last year’s general polls were partially marred with violence and fraud.
