Macedonia Press Review – March 22, 2013

DNEVNIK
The daily has checked out opposition claims that the government has issued IDs to Macedonians from Albania in order to use them for voting manipulation on Sunday’s local elections. The opposition Social Democrats previously said they have a video tape of five such people who are residing in a flat in Skopje with a sole purpose to vote for the government at the Election Day. The police rebuffed such claims, insist that it checked the allegations and that five students from Turkey legally reside at the address and that there is nothing problematic there.

UTRINSKI VESNIK
Few demolished party election outposts, exchange of accusations for election fraud and accusations of affairs exchanged between opposing political blocs have spiced up the end of the local election campaign before the Sunday vote. Pre-election silence starts of Friday at midnight. The opposition Social Democrats has filed some 200 objections to the State Electoral Commission, accusing the ruling VMRO DPMNE of an early start of the election campaign. The ruling party responded by submitting 220 objections against their rivals. The opposition has accused that the state issues IDs in a hurry to Macedonians from Albanian to try to rig the elections. The police insisted such claims were not true.

Balkan Insight has not verified the reports and cannot vouch for their accuracy.