Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground

Elections 2002
Sasho Cholakovski
There was the great coming of age
of electoral democracy on the subject
of peaceful handover of power. There
was the unquestionable, not just winning
but triumphant outcome for the
"For Macedonia" coalition and for
DUI. Then there was the phenomenon
of the turnout, and the fiasco of the
third option. All these
elements marked the
2002 parliamentary elections
in Macedonia.
After two electoral
cycles regarded as devastating
for democracy, on
the 15th of September
Macedonian democracy
came of age, and the will
of the citizens triumphed.
During parliamentary
elections in 1998, the ruling
coalition SDSM-PDP
handed over power in
almost Swedish style.
Generally, in the
2002parliamentary elections,
VMRO-DPMNE
and DPA demonstrated
that Macedonia has
acquired the electoral
stamina and the first
level of democratic culture,
despite all the difficulties
caused by the
grave implications of
constructed incidents.
The bad scenarios may
have failed due to the downfall of the
ruling parties, which was apparent
already the morning of the elections,
and possibly due to the oblivious state
of the ruling parties and the lack of
Macedonian priorities are
a legal state, then democracy!
rational perception of the true electoral
mood. Therefore, it seems apparent
that prevention is better than a cure.
If the previous ruling parties are to
be thanked, it is only for the fact that
they mobilized the civil factor as a
third public eye: the nongovernmental
sector and media. These two segments
have had a key role as citizen's whip
for the authorities. In principle, they
There is an old
democratic
maxim that the
British adore:
Power corrupts,
absolute
power corrupts
absolutely!
function as such in
modern states if the
state and the system
start serving the ruling
party instead of
the people. Finally,
only last year did the
public started to
strengthen as an
institution with a
capital P, responsive
to the media signals,
which likewise
grounded their legitimacy on public
support and feedback. The other key
preventive link were the representatives
of the international community.
With their presence in the field, especially
at the anticipated crisis locations,
the internationals created psychological
and physical shields against incidents.
Most noteworthy, however, is that
the Republic of Macedonia primarily
helped itself! These parliamentary
elections have definite historic importance.
The atmosphere in the city
squares on Sunday night during the
voting, demonstrated a cathartic
release of the spirit, which the citizens
needed as an outlet for the compressed
build-up. Both for the ones infected
with politics and the apolitical ones.
Everybody needed victory. In order not
to mystify whether this was a vote for
or against: this was not a victory for
SDSM or VMRO-DPMNE - this was a
victory for Macedonia. The parliamentary
elections completed an historic
phase in the development of democracy
in Macedonia: a new political
image, essential to the future of the
state, is being created. The new political
attitude will be legitimate and legal,
obtained by the will of the majority of
voters, and that is exactly where the
previous ruling party fell short very
quickly. And it is good that Macedonia
proceeds apace with the handover of
power, which proves that nobody is
eternal, that the people can punish, and
they can also award.
There is one notable point with
regard to these elections. It is the
defeat of the right, radical, oligarchic
clericalism that was strengthened in
the last two years of Ljubcho
Georgievski's Government. It is the
defeat of the post-modern concept
exercised by the Coalition VMRO-
DPMNE, DPA and LP, of imposing a
false projection of reality as opposed to
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A new beginning, November 2002