95 MPs in the 120-seat Parliament on Tuesday elected new members of the State Election Commission approving a draft-decision passed earlier in the day by the Committee for Election and Appointment Issues.
Aleksandar Dashtevski, who was backed by the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, was elected head of the State Election Commission. Dashtevski, who was a member of the State Election Commission from 2012 to 2016, will replace the ongoing president, Oliver Derkovski. Previously, he was at the helm of the Commission for Protection from Discrimination.
Detmire Shehu of DUI, the current deputy president, was re-elected. Other members include Boris Kondarko and Radica Risteska, who were re-elected, and ex-deputy justice minister Oliver Ristovski. They were endorsed by the ruling party SDSM. Lawyer Boban Stojanoski was another VMRO-DPMNE-backed candidate who was elected as member of the State Election Commission. Krenar Loga, a Struga-based lawyer, was elected after being endorsed by the Alliance for Albanians, which is in coalition with Alternativa party.
The new members of the key electoral body were elected with two-third majority in Parliament.
The term of the incumbent State Election Commission, with Oliver Derkovski at the helm, ends on Jan. 15.
