The expectations of the State Election Commission that the complaints of the submitters of candidate lists would be quickly resolved, resulted with a ten-minute break and almost two hours of deciding on one complaint.

The VMRO-DPMNE coalition, with 40 complaints, could extend the session until late in the night, having in consideration that the resolution of the first complaint passed with many visible tensions and different interpretations of the Electoral Code.

The first complaint for polling stations 1356 and 1411 in Prilep prompted a discussion between the members of the State Election Commission. The Election Boards and their level of education were the main concern.

In determining where the mistake is and who is at fault, the members of the SEC offered their interpretations as well to the same articles of the Electoral Code.

The authenticity of the case was confirmed by the original minutes submitted to the archive of the SEC, and not by the copies.

And while the representatives of VMRO-DPMNE did not withdraw from their position that there has to be an election re-run in these two polling stations, the final decision, with nine votes- against, was a rejection to the complaint.

“For the political party that is objecting, these minutes are not valid. Therefore, I ask for the complaint to be accepted”, concluded Silvana Boneva.

“The complaint is based on a copy that is received by everyone who is present there from a political party at the time the minutes are written, the original is signed and a copy is given. Therefore, the assertions that the political parties had received other minutes cannot be upheld…We all saw that the original is in order and is signed, and this complaint should be rejected”, replied Violeta Duma, member of the SEC.

The session of the SEC is still in progress, at which the fourth complaint is being reviewed. Until now, three complaints of VMRO-DPMNE have been rejected.

Biljana Jordanovska