Macedonia Opposition Seeks Probe in Election Scandal

The country’s most popular television station, A1 TV, this weekend aired recordings of telephone conversations that they say show that public administration employees were forced to provide lists of voters who they could guarantee would cast their ballot for the ruling party, in exchange for keeping their post or a promise of employment for their relatives or close associates.

Speaking at a press conference, the opposition Social Democrats' candidate for prime minister, Radmila Shekerinska, accused Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of the VMRO DPMNE of “inspiring” and “allowing” the scheme.

“The government pressures now have a name and surname. There is evidence for it, overwhelming evidence, thousands of names, hundreds of public office holders and one who stands behind all this, [the PM] Nikola Gruevski,” Shekerinska said.

The ruling party strongly rebuffed all accusations as false and fabricated. In a press statement they called A1 a “party megaphone of the opposition Social Democrats”.

The Social Democrats have asked the Public Prosecution to investigate the case and raise charges if necessary.

The opposition party accused the VMRO DPMNE of breaking the law on employment, the law on public administration and the constitution.

Posing falsely as poll-takers from a VMRO DPMNE call centre who wanted to check whether the listed people were indeed planning to vote for the party, A1 journalists called several civil servants who allegedly submitted names of voters the party could rely on.

A1, which is seen as critical of the government, aired some of the conversations in its news bulletin at the weekend. In the recorded conversations, people claiming to be employed in the administration acknowledge they had to submit such lists in exchange for keeping their post or a promise of employment for their relatives or close associates.

Managers had to provide 30 names while other employees had to name 15, A1 TV alleges.

Prime Minister Gruevski did not comment personally on the scandal on Monday.