2016 Macedonian parliamentary election

2016 Macedonian parliamentary election

11 December 2016
All 123 seats to the Sobranie 62 seats needed for a majority
File:Zaev.jpg Leader Nikola Gruevski Zoran Zaev Party Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity SDSM Leader since 2003 2013 Last election 61 seats, 43.0% 34 seats, 25.3% Current seats 56 38   Leader Ali Ahmeti Menduh Thaçi Party BDI PDSH Leader since 2002 2006 Last election 19 seats, 13.7% 7 seats, 5.92% Current seats 17 7
Incumbent Prime Minister Emil Dimitriev (interim) Technical government

Early parliamentary elections will be held in Macedonia on 11 December 2016, having originally been planned for 24 April and later 5 June.

Background

Main articles: 2015 Macedonian protests and 2016 Macedonian protests

The elections were called as part of an agreement brokered by the European Union to end the protests against the government of Nikola Gruevski. From 20 October 2015, a transitional government was installed including the two main parties, VMRO-DPMNE and the Social Democratic Union (SDSM). A new special prosecutor was appointed to investigate Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and government ministers. According to the Przino Agreement signed in mid-December 2015, Gruevski will be required to resign as Prime Minister 120 days before the elections.

Assembly speaker Trajko Veljanovski confirmed the date on 18 October.

Electoral system

Of the 123 seats in the Assembly of the Republic, 120 are elected from six 20-seat constituencies in Macedonia using closed list proportional representation, with seats allocated using the d'Hondt method. The remaining three seats are single-member constituencies elected by first-past-the-post representing Macedonians living abroad, with one for Europe and Africa, one for the Americas and one for Asia and Australia.