2008 Macedonian parliamentary election

none Macedonia 2006 2011 All 120 seats in the Assembly 61 1 June 2008 yes For a Better Macedonia Nikola Gruevski 48.78 63 VMRO-DPMNE Coalition for Europe Radmila Šekerinska #033A73 23.64 27 Democratic Union for Integration Ali Ahmeti 12.82 18 Democratic Party of Albanians Menduh Thaçi 8.26 11 Party for a European Future Fijat Canoski 1.47 1 Prime Minister Prime Minister after election Nikola Gruevski VMRO-DPMNE Nikola Gruevski VMRO-DPMNE Early parliamentary elections were held in Macedonia on 1 June 2008, after the Assembly voted to dissolve itself on 12 April 2008. The result was a victory for the VMRO-DPMNE-led alliance, which won 63 of the 120 seats in the Assembly. Background The early elections were proposed by the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) after Greece vetoed Macedonia's bid to join NATO at the 2008 Bucharest summit over the Macedonia naming dispute. The DUI's request was supported by the ruling coalition of VMRO–DPMNE and the Democratic Party of Albanians. Although the opposition Social Democratic Union and Liberal Democratic Party boycotted the vote, 70 of the 120 MPs voted in favour of the motion, with all others absent from the vote. Elections had not been due until 2010,Macedonia to hold early election BBC News, 12 April 2008 and these were the first early elections since independence in 1991.Изборите закажани за 1 јуни (Elections appointed on 1 June) http://www.a1.com.mk/vesti/default.aspx?VestID=91752 A1 News Macedonian 2008-04-12 2002-04-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20080413194046/http://www.a1.com.mk/vesti/default.aspx?VestID=91752 2008-04-13 dead Campaign The two major parties formed coalitions before the elections. VMRO-DPMNE formed a coalition called "For a Better Macedonia", whilst the SDSM formed the eight-party "Sun – Coalition for Europe" alliance.Macedonia's VMRO-DPMNE sign pre-election coalition deal with 18 small parties (SETimes.com) For a Better Macedonia The For a Better Macedonia coalition included VMRO-DPMNE, the Socialist Party of Macedonia, the Democratic Union, Democratic Renewal of Macedonia, the Democratic Party of Turks, the Democratic Party of Serbs, the Union of Roma in Macedonia, VMRO-Macedonia, the United Party for Emancipation, the Party of Justice, the Party of Democratic Action of Macedonia, the Party of the Vlachs of Macedonia, the Party for Roma Integration, the People's Movement of Macedonia, the Democratic Party of the Bosniaks, the Party of the Greens, the Democratic Union of the Roma, the Workers' Agricultural Party of the Republic of Macedonia, and the Party for the Full Emancipation of the Roma of Macedonia. Sun – Coalition for Europe Sun – Coalition for Europe included the SDSM, the New Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party of Macedonia, the New Alternative, the Green Party of Macedonia, the Party of Pensioners of the Republic of Macedonia and the Democratic Union of the Vlachs of Macedonia. Opinion polls According to a poll of 1,108 citizens taken between 11 April and 15 April 2008, VMRO-DPMNE had a 29% rating, followed by SDSM with 11% and DUI with 10%.http://www.a1.com.mk/vesti/default.aspx?VestID=92184 A1 News poll 2008-04-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20080424152958/http://www.a1.com.mk/vesti/default.aspx?VestID=92184 2008-04-24 dead A poll from 24 April and 25 April 2008 gave VMRO-DPMNE 26%, SDSM 12%, DUI 11% and DPA 7%.Governing VMRO-DPMNE First in Macedonia: Angus Reid Global Monitor Other polls saw For a Better Macedonia lead with 37% to Sun's 18%, followed by DUI with 11% and DPA with 6%.Campaigning officially begins in Macedonia (SETimes.com) Conduct The tense elections involved episodes of violence, mostly between rival ethnic Albanian parties, the DUI and DPA. Shootings were reported in the Albanian-populated North-West of the country.BBC NEWS | Europe | Macedonian poll marred by unrest A gunman opened fire on a Macedonian police unit patrolling the village of Aračinovo, north of the capital Skopje.Tompsett R. http://www.france24.com/en/20080601-violence-continues-check-macedonian-vote-elections&navi=MONDE Violence mars election day in Macedonia France 24 2008-06-01 2008-06-01 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110520122828/http://www.france24.com/en/20080601-violence-continues-check-macedonian-vote-elections%26navi%3DMONDE 2011-05-20 One person was killed and several were wounded.http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5guhqWS1P92Ymzfh-hNQ1w6fIfcXw Deadly gun attack mars Macedonian elections AFP 2008-06-01 2008-06-01 The situation appeared to have calmed down by the time polls closed at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT).Macedonia PM wins election in shadow of violence - Mirror.co.uk There were also reports of ballot stuffing and allegations of fraud in villages around Skopje during the early hours of voting.http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1C5A35FB-17B7-4FDE-B935-FC8FA89EECEA.htm Shootings mar Macedonia polls Al Jazeera 2008-06-01 2008-06-01 Due to violence on the polling day, polling had to be repeated in parts of three election districts (193 polling stations out of 2,976)http://www.dtt-net.com/en/index.php?page=view-article&article=4130 Macedonia: Number of re-vote polling stations goes high - dtt-net.com 2008-06-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20110719045942/http://www.dtt-net.com/en/index.php?page=view-article&article=4130 2011-07-19 dead Macedonia to stage election re-run due to irregularities - People's Daily Online on 15 June 2008; about 170,000 voters were eligible to vote in the rerun,Mazedonien annulliert Wahlergebnisse in 193 Wahllokalen (International, NZZ Online) and the results determined which of the two main Albanian parties will join VMRO–DPMNE in government.Macedonia to conduct revote in 193 polling stations (SETimes.com) Results For a Better Macedonia 481501 63 VMRO-DPMNE Sun – Coalition for Europe 233284 27 #033A73 Democratic Union for Integration 126522 18 Democratic Party of Albanians 81557 11 Party for a European Future 14474 1 Party for Democratic Prosperity 7213 0 Democratic Union of Albanians 6484 0 Social Democratic Party of Macedonia 6406 0 Party of Free Democrats (Macedonia) mk Партија на слободни демократи Party of Free Democrats 4362 0 Radical Party of the Serbs in Macedonia 4326 0 Homeland Macedonian Organization for Radical Renewal – Vardar–Egej–Pirin mk Татковинска македонска организација за радикална обнова - Вардар - Егеј - Пирин TMORO–VEP 4317 0 Movement for National Unity of Turks in Macedonia mk Движење за национално единство на Турците во Македонија Movement for National Unity of Turks 3782 0 Union of Tito's Left Forces 3758 0 red Group of Electors Panco Minov 2744 0 VMRO – Democratic Party mk Внатрешна македонска револуционерна организација - Демократска партија 2335 0 Permanent Macedonian Radical Unification mk Трајно македонско радикално обединување 1856 0 National Democratic Union 1651 0 Peco Grujovski Group of Electors 449 0 28173 0 1779116 State Election Commission, SE Times, IHT Aftermath The Party for Democratic Prosperity announced after the election on 3 June 2008 that it would merge with the DPA, effectively making the DPA the larger of the two main Albanian parties and increasing its chances in the repeated elections.Makfax vesnik References Category:Elections in North Macedonia Macedonia Parliamentary Macedonia