GENDER TASK FORCE OBSERVATION OF FYR MACEDONIA ELECTIONS

September 25, 2002 - The Gender Task Force has successfully conducted an Election Observation Mission to the FYR Macedonia. Now the Macedonian State Parliament will have 18.3% (22)Women MP's.

The Stability Pact Gender Task Force organized its first Regional Election Observation Delegation to FYRoM from September 10 18, 2002. The Delegation was made up of GTF Experts and Focal Points from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Montenegro[1]. The Delegation based its findings upon:

· Analysis and reports produced by the Women s Press Center Skopje, Coalition Citizens for Citizens and Union of Women s Organizations of the Republic of Macedonia (UWOM);

· Meetings with the GTF Representatives Savka Todorovska NGO Focal Point, Elena Grozdanova Government Focal Point, Liljana Popovska GTF Regional Advisory Board Member, Macedonian Women s Lobby, and UWOM.

GTF Delegation Observation in 2 Electoral Districts (Kisela Voda, Kumanovo) including 27 polling stations, 2 of which were observed from open to close, while the remaining 25 were observed for shorter periods. The polling stations observed represented rural, urban, majority, minority, mono and mixed ethnic communities.

Election Campaign:
Existing gender analysis of party programs, media and public appearances and advertising as well as the GTF Delegation observations point to serious lack of visibility of women candidates throughout the election campaign. One positive development is the Women s Press Center s analysis of party programs which demonstrates that most political parties make mention of women s rights, gender equality or some other variation, although they lack elaboration or proposals for implementation. Women s position on candidate lists, although in all cases satisfying the minimum quota of 30%, with few exceptions were grouped at the bottom of candidate lists, with little to no chance for election[2]. Some cases of sexist imagery in party propaganda were noted as well.

ELECTION DAY
The GTF Delegation in its observations noted an overall peaceful, tolerant, even celebratory atmosphere, without major irregularities. The State Election Commission (DIK) is presided over by a woman.

Polling station committees were predominately male, in all polling stations visited, with some exclusively male polling station committees noted. Likewise the presence of 3 women chairs of polling station committees (out of 27) was noted as well. Domestic political party observers were present in large numbers at all polling stations visited, although only a handful was female. International Observers, also, were predominately male. Domestic citizen observation was approximately 50/50 representing the only fair gender balance[3].

Voter Participation in these elections, according to official statistics, was 73%. The GTF Delegation observed extraordinarily high women s participation, at least 50% in all polling stations observed, and 55% in the two polling stations observed from open to close. Women voters from all age groups participated, and cases of women from different generations coming to vote together were not uncommon. In rural areas family voting was noted, although rarely were women not allowed to vote at all by male family members. In most cases male family members in rural areas proxy voted for female (illiterate) family members. With a few exceptions, this was limited to elderly women. Illiteracy or semi-illiteracy amongst rural and in particular minority women was prevalent.

ELECTION RESULTS
As of September 17, 2002, with elections to be repeated in two communities, the FYROM State Parliament will have 22 women MP s out of 120 seats. This figure of 18,3% represents the highest representation of women in the history of democratic elections in FYR Macedonia. Another first should be noted. Namely, for the first time, an Albanian Women was elected to the State Parliament.

Conclusions and Recommendations
Overall the GTF Election Observation Delegation concluded that:

The Macedonian Parliamentary Elections were free and fair;

The nationwide effort to get out the women s vote was successful, as women voted in equal or greater numbers than men;

The passing of a gender quota in the electoral legislation (facilitated through the GTF WCDI II Project) helped to improve women s participation from 3.5% to 18.3%, one of the highest in Southeast Europe;

On the basis of democratic principles, and in the interest of stability and prosperity in FYRoMacedonia, the GTF Delegation recommends that women be represented with at least 30% in the new government and that the Gender Equality Machinery already in place be given additional resources in order to meet new demands of stabilization and accession to the European Union.

[1] Zineta Rasavac (BiH), Stanimira Hadjimitova, Zdravka Safari (BUL), Sladjana Pejoviæ (MN) and Mary Ann Rukavina (CRO)
[2] due to closed lists
[3] organized by Citizens for Citizens and UWOM