North Macedonia Parties ‘Almost Level’ Before Election: Survey

An opinion poll published on Monday by the International Republican Institute, IRI, a US-based democracy development organisation, suggested that North Macedonia's main ruling Social Democrats enjoy a very slight popularity advantage over their bitter rivals, the right-wing opposition VMRO DPNNE party.

The survey carried out in January and February suggested that the Social Democrats led by Zoran Zaev enjoy 17 per cent popularity, while the opposition VMRO DPMNE party led by Hristijan Mickoski are on 16 per cent, putting them practically neck-and-neck.

In the ethnic Albanian campus, seven per cent of respondents said they would endorse the junior ruling Democratic Union for Integration led by Ali Ahmeti, five per cent opted for the opposition Alliance for Albanians led by Ziadin Sella, and four per cent said they would vote for the BESA movement led by Bilall Kasami.

The small Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA garnered one per cent support, the same as a leftist party simply called The Left. Two per cent said they would support some of the other smaller political groups.

In the survey as a whole, 21 per cent said they are yet undecided or don't know who to support, 12 per cent refused to answer, 12 per cent said they will not vote and four per cent said that they will spoil their ballot papers.

There is a question mark over whether the early general elections will be held or not due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

The survey, carried out just before these concerns grew, suggested that about three-quarters of voters were "very" or "somewhat" likely to vote.

Forty-six per cent said they are very likely to vote while additional 28 per cent said it was somewhat likely.

The survey, which follows the EU's...