Newly elected members of the State Election Commission (SEC) took on Friday a solemn oath before Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi.
The event overlapped with the end of the term of the previous structure of SEC.
New SEC president Aleksandar Dashtevski, who was backed by the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, expressed satisfaction that the process was finalized in time.
He stressed that he will perform tasks professionally, in line with laws and the Constitution.
“The law states that we must perform tasks professionally, so party assistance ends here. Party members probably backed me because they believed that I could do a good job,” Dashtevski said.
He denied allegations that he was endorsed by VMRO-DPMNE for helping former PM Nikola Gruevski receive asylum abroad.
Asked whether new SEC members will call for changes to the electoral code, Dashtevski said that only Parliament has the power to do this, adding that matters regarding election-related legislation are always discussed by political parties.
Moreover, he refrained from commenting on the census process, nor whether its results will impact elections.
Newly elected SEC members will start work on Monday.
Three members of the previous structure of SEC – Boris Kondarko and Radica Risteska, endorsed by SDSM, and current SEC deputy president Detmire Shehu, backed by DUI, have been re-elected.
New SEC members include: Aleksandar Dashtevski and Boban Stojanovski, backed by VMRO-DPMNE, Oliver Ristovski – endorsed by SDSM and Krenar Loga by Aliance for Albanians.
The term of previous SEC head Oliver Derkoski and members Elizabeta Postoloska, Janake Vitanovski and Enver Salihi ends on Friday.
