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DE RUEHSQ #0030/01 0161123
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161123Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
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INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 1714
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 5063
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 2011
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 3498
RHMFIUU/CDR TF FALCON
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2091
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3650
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 4217
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000030 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: PEACEFUL LOCAL BY-ELECTIONS IN SARAJ 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Local by-elections in the predominantly eAlbanian 
municipality of Saraj on January 14 were generally peaceful, 
confounding predictions by some local analysts of a violent 
contest between rival eAlbanian parties DPA and DUI.  Along 
with a number of international community (IC) pre-election 
meetings with DPA and DUI leaders, a heavy IC and local 
monitoring presence backed by a robust police deployment 
helped keep the voting peaceful.  Monitors noted voting 
irregularities observed in previous elections, including 
frequent proxy and family voting.  Despite those 
irregularities, local election officials generally carried 
out their duties with greater professionalism than was the 
case in previous elections in Macedonia.  Nevertheless, the 
need for a heavy monitoring presence to achieve a peaceful 
voting outcome, and the continued practice of proxy and 
family voting, calls into question the strength of democratic 
institutions in that predominantly eAlbanian municipality, a 
point we will underscore to both DPA and DUI leaders.  End 
Summary. 
 
PEACEFUL BY-ELECTIONS WITH HEAVY MONITORING PRESENCE 
 
¶2. (U) By-elections on January 14 for mayor and city council 
in the predominantly ethnic Albanian municipality of Saraj 
were conducted in a peaceful, calm atmosphere, confounding 
some local commentators' predictions of a violent contest 
between contending eAlbanian candidates.  (NOTE: The 
by-elections were triggered by the selection of the former 
Saraj mayor, a member of the eAlbanian governing coalition 
junior partner DPA, to serve as a Deputy Prime Minister in 
the government after the July 2006 parliamentary elections. 
END NOTE.)  In pre-election meetings, the IC had emphasized 
the importance of fair, peaceful elections to both major 
eAlbanian parties -- DPA and DUI, the main eAlbanian 
opposition party. 
 
¶3. (U) A heavy international and local NGO monitoring 
presence, including US Embassy observer teams, helped ensure 
a relatively calm atmosphere on election day, despite earlier 
tensions between DPA and DUI.  A heavy police presence, which 
we had urged the Ministry of Interior to provide, also helped 
keep incidents both inside and outside polling stations to a 
minimum.  The Embassy co-sponsored with the German mission 
the local NGO MOST's observer teams, which remained at each 
of the municipality's 34 polling sites throughout the day. 
DUI and DPA each reported attempts by the other to intimidate 
candidates or supporters, but those reports could not be 
confirmed. 
 
PROXY VOTING, FAMILY VOTING, DEJA VU 
 
¶4. (U) Although the voting itself was calm, international and 
local monitors observed many of the same irregularities noted 
in parliamentary elections in 2006 and also in local 
elections in 2005.  Those irregularities included proxy 
voting, multiple voting, group/family voting, and failure to 
use UV lamps to prevent voter fraud.  Some irregularities 
also were observed during the vote counting. 
 
¶5. (U) Despite the irregularities observed, local election 
boards (LEBs) performed their duties more professionally than 
their predecessors in previous election cycles.  The 
improvement might have been due to the 2006 amendments in the 
electoral code, which required the boards to be comprised of 
civil servants, rather than party activists.  Female 
participation on the LEBs increased notably.  Higher numbers 
of women were observed voting than in previous elections, 
although many were involved in "family voting," in which a 
husband or other male relative decides for whom the woman 
will vote. 
 
DPA WINS BY A SOLID MARGIN 
 
¶6. (U) Initial State Election Commission reports on January 
15 indicated DPA won the mayorship and the majority of seats 
on the municipal council by a solid majority.  Both parties 
said they would contest the results from some polling 
stations, but there is little likelihood of a recount that 
would affect the mayorship contest.  DUI leaders appeared to 
accept the fact that they had not been able to surmount DPA's 
popular standing in Saraj, the only predominantly eAlbanian 
municipality in Macedonia not controlled by DUI. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶7. (SBU) Considering the strong rivalry between DPA and DUI, 
the calm and peaceful conduct of the by-elections is a small 
victory for Macedonia and for ethnic Albanians.  That it took 
an overwhelming IC, NGO and police presence at the polling 
stations to deter potentially violent action by party 
activists detracts from that victory.  In addition, the 
continuing cavalier approach to family and proxy voting among 
eAlbanians signals a lack of political maturity that 
undermines democratic institutions in that municipality.  We 
will be urging eAlbanian leaders, from both DPA and DUI, to 
publicly call for an end to the most egregious forms of voter 
irregularities in future elections, including family and 
proxy voting. 
MILOVANOVIC