Macedonian Government Expects Setback in Local Elections

The Macedonian electorate will drag itself wearily to the polls on 10 September 2000. This year's local elections follow the 1999 presidential election, 1998 parliamentary elections, and 1996 local elections. The chronic campaign cycle, seemingly endless political sloganeering, and constant criticism from international observers have created fatigue among the electorate. As in 1996, the local elections will have hardly anything to do with running municipal governments, and everything to do with validating the current national government. Early polls indicate most voters will use the opportunity to voice their frustration against the ruling coalition.

The date itself caused much debate and dissatisfaction. Opposition parties charged that such an early date would place them at a distinct disadvantage because of the short preparation time for their campaigns (August is traditionally the month for summer holidays). The early election date also allows the ruling coalition to avoid a bruising parliamentary battle that was sure to result from any attempts to pass new legislation affecting local government such as financing, decentralisation and electoral procedures.

There is a complete absence of debate concerning significant local issues despite the fact that most of the electorate believes that their public services and basic quality of life have deteriorated considerably. The election results are expected to reflect the actual drop in popularity of the national governing coalition comprised of the Macedonia Internal Revolutionary Organisation-Democratic Party for Macedonia, the Democratic Alternative, and the Democratic Party of Albanians (VMRO-DPMNE/DA/DPA). It is widely expected that the coalition parties will lose a significant number of the votes they garnered during the 1998 parliamentary elections. The only question is to what extent their electorate has shrunk, and how much of it the largest opposition party, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), has managed to take over.