Admir Fazlagik, Talha Ozturk
April 19, 2019•Update: April 19, 2019
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina
On Sunday voters in North Macedonia are due at the polls to elect a new president, a choice which will shape the country for the winner's five-year term.
Sunday's election is the sixth presidential election in the country's modern history, but the first since it made a momentous name change.
Last June the country agreed to change its name in line with a deal under which Greece dropped its objection to North Macedonia joining NATO and the EU.
A total of 1.8 million North Macedonians are eligible to cast ballots in the election, which has three candidates -- all academics -- running for the seat.
Stevo Pendarovski -- currently leading the polls, but with less than 50% -- is supported by the government and has the backing of 31 political parties, including the Union of Social Democrats of Macedonia (SDSM), the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), AlternAtivA, the Turkish Movement Party (THP), and the Turkish Democratic Party (TDP).
Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, the only woman candidate, is seeking the presidency with the support of the main opposition union, and also favors cancelling the country’s name change deal.
Lastly, ethnic Albanian candidate Blerim Reka, a former ambassador, has the support of the Alliance for Albanians party.
Under the Constitution, in order to win in the first round, a presidential candidate needs to win more than 50% of registered voters. If none does, the two top candidates go to a runoff.
Under the law, voter turnout in the runoff must be at least 40% for it to produce a winner.
Since Macedonia declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, the nation has had four presidents.
Under the Constitution, a president can be elected for a maximum of two times.
