With 98 percent of votes counted in a referendum to change the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) early on Monday morning, the "yes" votes reached 91 percent, but turnout remained low at 36.87 percent.

Despite the low participation, with just 630,000 FYROM citizens casting ballots, FYROM's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev indicated on Sunday night that he would bring the deal to Parliament, and call snap elections if MPs do not back it.

In comments to reporters on Sunday night, Zaev put a brave face on the low turnout, focusing instead on the high percentage of positive votes.

It was a victory for the "yes" camp, he said, adding that "the will of the people must be respected by everyone."

"Voters cast their ballots with pride," he added, noting that most appeared to have voted "yes" despite a boycott championed by the political opposition.

Zaev called on the opposition to support the constitutional changes that FYROM must pass for the deal to be ratified.

"The VMRO must support the constitutional changes otherwise there is no democratic path, apart from going to elections," he said, referring to the main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE.

For his part, VMRO leader Hristijan Mickoski described the outcome of the referendum as "a red light for the deal," adding that FYROM citizens sent a strong message about "Macedonian" language and identity.

Mickoski alleged vote-rigging in certain areas and called on the government to offer explanations.

"The people want EU and NATO [accession]," he said, "but not that deal." </s> The state election commission in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) says voter turnout for a referendum on changing the country's name to “Republic of North Macedonia” to pave the way for NATO membership stood at 28.8 percent two hours before polls close.

 

 State Electoral Commission head Oliver Derkoski provided the updated turnout figure as of 5 p.m. Sunday.

 

 Low turnout could make it harder for FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to persuade lawmakers to vote on constitutional changes needed for the deal with Greece to become final.

 

 The country’s Constitution requires a minimum turnout of 50 percent of eligible voters for a binding referendum. However, Zaev's government says the referendum was called as a consultative move.

 

 That means it could interpret the outcome as a fair reflection of public opinion regardless of how many voters participated. [AP] </s> Fyrom’s Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev, vowed to continue to pursue implementation of the Greece-FYROM Prespa Agreement, following yesterday’s referendum on the accord.

He said that he will seek a vote in parliament on the constitutional amendments required by the agreement, in order to resolve the dispute with Greece over the name issue, despite the fact that voter participation in the non-binding referendum did not reach the over 50 percent of the electorate needed for it to be considered valid.

The result, with nearly all the votes counted, showed that 91.39 percent of those who participated voted ‘Yes’ on the agreement, and only 5.71 percent voted ‘No’.

The fact that two-thirds of the electorate did not vote in the referendum, however, was a significant blow for Zaev. Though the results of the percentage of the electorate that voted had not been officially announced, it was estimated that it was 36.6 percent.

Oliver Derkovski, the president of the FYROM’s State Election Commission, said that it is “clear that a decision was not taken” in the referendum.

Implementation of the accord requires that the country’s name be changed to Republic of North Macedonia.

Opponents of the agreement, including President Gjorge Ivanov, called on voters to abstain from the voting in the referendum, so that it would not be considered valid.

“It is clear that the agreement with Greece was not given a Green light by citizens,” main opposition VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickovski told journalists, adding that the government has lost its legitimisation after the results of the referendum.

Asked if he intends to step down as PM, Zaev said, “I do not intend to resign…It is my duty to stay on.”

 Zaev said that citizens who voted in the referendum made “a serious contribution” and “helped to build the foundations of the future of our country”.

“Over 650,000 citizens voted in the referendum supported [the name change]. Over 90 percent supported [the name change], and believe that the country must accept the agreement with Greece and become a member of Nato and the European Union,” Zaev said.

Although the referendum was not legally binding, FYROM’s MPs had said that they would be bound by the results.

 However, the fact that the turnout rate was not sufficient (over 50 percent of registered voters) for the referendum to be considered valid, gave opponents of the agreement opportunity to oppose it when it is tabled in parliament.

The nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party has 48 seats in parliament (out of a total of 120 MPs), enough to block the necessary constitutional amendments, for which a two-thirds majority is needed.

Zaev in his post-referendum remarks made no mention of voter turnout, but insisted that the vote of those who supported the name change must be respected. He said that he will put the issue of proceeding with the constitutional amendment process to a vote in parliament, and if it is not approved he will call early elections.

 Zaev said that he is determined to ensure that FYROM “accedes to the European Union and Nato”, and that the time has come to support the country’s European prospects.

Opponents of the agreement say that it constitutes a national humiliation.

Zaev and the ethnic Albanian parties (which represent 20-25 percent of the population of the country) have no choice but to attempt to persuade the ten additional VMRO-DMNE MPs needed to form a two-thirds parliamentary majority to support the required constitutional amendments, which will change the name of the country and remove irredentist provisions.

In a telephone conversation after the referendum, Tsipras extolled Zaev’s “decisiveness in pursuing implementation” of the Prespa Agreement.

Nato’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, urged all political leaders and parties to avail themselves of an historic opportunity.

European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who is competent for enlargement issues, called on FYROM’s political parties to “respect” the result. </s> SKOPJE (Reuters) - Macedonia’s prime minister pledged on Sunday to press on with a vote in parliament to change the country’s name to resolve a decades-old dispute with Greece, despite failing to secure the 50 percent turnout at a referendum required to make it valid.

The proposed name change is part of an agreement reached in June by pro-Western Prime Minister Zoran Zaev with Greece to resolve the dispute over the country’s name, which had prevented Macedonia from joining NATO or the EU.

With 85 percent of votes counted, official turnout was just 36 percent, and election officials made clear there was no chance the threshold would be cleared.

“On this referendum, it is clear that the decision has not been made,” election commission head Oliver Derkoski told reporters.

The people who did vote overwhelmingly backed the name change — more than 90 percent voted yes with 63 percent of polling stations reporting. But that had never been in doubt, since opponents of the change had urged followers not to vote, rather than vote no.

Related Coverage Macedonia name referendum fails to reach turnout threshold: election commission

“It is clear that the agreement with Greece has not received the green light from the people,” main nationalist opposition VMRO-DPMNE party leader Hristiajn Mickoski told journalists.

The referendum was itself not legally binding, but lawmakers had pledged to abide by it, and the failure to reach the turnout threshold means opponents can now freely vote against the deal.

The nationalist opposition holds 49 seats in the 120-seat parliament, enough to block the two-thirds majority required to change the constitution.

In an address, Zaev made no mention of the turnout but said the votes of those who had backed the change must be respected. He pledged to hold a vote in parliament on the name change, and call an early election if lawmakers failed to enact it.

“I am determined to take Macedonia into the European Union and NATO,” Zaev said. He spoke again later in the evening, along similar lines: “It is time to support European Macedonia.”

Macedonia's PM Zoran Zaev, his wife Zorica and his son Dushko cast their ballot for the referendum in Macedonia on changing the country's name that would open the way for it to join NATO and the European Union in Strumica, Macedonia September 30, 2018. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski

BLOW

The Greek foreign ministry said it respected the will of the people of the country, which it refers to by the provisional name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The referendum passed judgment on the agreement with Greece reached in June, under which Macedonia would change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Greece, which has its own province called Macedonia, maintains that its northern neighbor’s name represents a claim on its territory.

Because of the dispute, Greece has vetoed Macedonia’s entrance into NATO and the EU. While polls have long showed that a vast majority of Macedonians want to join NATO and the EU, nationalist opponents of the name change argued that it undermined the ethnic identity of Macedonia’s Slavic majority.

The question on the referendum ballot read: “Are you for NATO and EU membership with acceptance of the agreement with Greece”.

Supporters of the name change argued that it was a price worth paying to pursue admission into bodies such as the EU and NATO.

Slideshow (11 Images)

“I came today to vote for the future of the country, for young people in Macedonia so they can be live freely under the umbrella of the European Union because it means safer lives for all of us,” said Olivera Georgijevska, 79, in Skopje.

But opponents said the name change represented national humiliation.

“We are for NATO and EU, but we want to join with our heads up, not through the service door,” said Vladimir Kavadarkov, who backed the referendum boycott. “We are a poor country, but we do have dignity.” </s> The vast majority of those who voted in Sunday referendum in Macedonia supported the plan to rename the country and thereby end a decadeslong spat with Greece and unlock a path to EU and NATO membership, but low turnout compromised the results of the referendum.

With ballots from 80 percent of polling stations counted, 91.2 percent of votes were in favor of the name changing to North Macedonia, compared to 5.6 percent opposing the move, according to the electoral commission's official count.

However, Sunday's vote was marred by a low turnout, with only a third of the electorate voting.

The vote failed to secure the 50 percent turnout required to make the vote valid, the head of the election commission said Sunday.

"On this referendum it is clear that the decision has not been made," election commission head Oliver Derkoski told reporters.

Greece reacted to the result with the Foreign Ministry saying it "remains committed" to its June agreement with Skopje under which Athens would drop its objections to Macedonia joining the EU and NATO in return for a change of name,

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expressed his support for his Macedonian counterpart in a telephone call in which he hailed the "determination and courage" of Zoran Zaev to "complete the implementation of this agreement." a government source told AFP.

Zaev had earlier voiced confidence that the country would support a yes vote.

"I think the huge majority of the citizens who voted have chosen the European path for Macedonia," the social-democrat leader said, an hour after the polls closed.

But two-thirds of voters stayed away from the polling stations for the non-binding referendum on whether to change the name of the country to "North Macedonia".

Zaev urged the right-wing opposition, who might well question the vote's credibility due to the low turnout, to "respect the democratic will of the citizens" and ratify the deal in parliament or face "early parliamentary elections."

For the two-thirds parliamentary majority required to ratify the result, Zaev and his coalition partners from the ethnic Albanian minority need at least a dozen MPs from the opposition to back the move.

Opponents of the change, who had called for a boycott of the name-change referendum, announced plans for a celebration outside parliament, where they had set up a stage during the afternoon. However, barely 300 people gathered there an hour and a half after the polls closed.

The vote is an emotional moment for a country that has struggled for recognition of its name since 1991, when the former Yugoslav republic declared independence.

At the time, Athens kicked up a major fuss, accusing Skopje of stealing the name of its own northern province, which is also called Macedonia.

The dispute dives deep into history with both countries vying to lay claim to Alexander the Great's ancient empire of Macedon, which spanned their territories.

Zaev has billed the referendum as a painful but "historic" opportunity to break the 27-year-old stalemate.

The June deal, however, has been openly opposed by Macedonia's President Gjorge Ivanov, who is allied with the nationalist opposition and had supported calls for a boycott of the referendum.

Few Macedonians are enthused about the new name, saying they have been unfairly bullied by Greece.

"I am not happy and I do not know anyone who likes this deal," said 55-year old Danica Taneska, who admitted voting "no" to the change.

But a desire to anchor their future to the West -- and the economic prosperity that it could bring -- has been a driving force behind the "yes" vote in one of Europe's poorest nations.

The referendum is not binding, but a "yes" majority gives parliament a political mandate to change the constitution.

Sunday's vote was closely watched across the border in Greece, where nationalists staged a protest against the deal earlier this month.

"We hope for a positive outcome for the proceedings to progress with the constitutional review," Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said on the radio earlier.

"Any other result would create a disturbance."

Europe and the U.S. have campaigned hard for the deal, with many leaders passing through Skopje this month to urge Macedonians to seize the "historic" opportunity.

NATO has already issued an invite -- on hold until the deal passes -- while EU accession talks are scheduled to begin next year.

The West is keen to have another foothold in the Western Balkans, a region where Russia, which is opposed to NATO expansion, has historically had influence.

At home, those in favor of the deal say a desire for an EU future is helping bind ethnic Macedonians with the Albanian minority, who are broadly pro-West.

While Macedonia avoided the full-scale inter-ethnic wars that rippled across the region during the collapse of Yugoslavia, it was roiled by an Albanian insurgency in 2001 that left more than 100 dead.

A peace deal was reached later that year granting Albanians more political rights, but tensions have remained. </s> Macedonia's prime minister vowed last night to press on with a vote in parliament to change the country's name to resolve a decades-old dispute with Greece, despite not getting 50pc turnout at a referendum required to make it valid.

Macedonia's prime minister vowed last night to press on with a vote in parliament to change the country's name to resolve a decades-old dispute with Greece, despite not getting 50pc turnout at a referendum required to make it valid.

The proposed name change is part of an agreement reached in June by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev with Greece to resolve the dispute over the country's name, which had prevented Macedonia from joining Nato or the EU.

With 85pc of votes counted, official turnout was just 36pc, and election officials made clear there was no chance the threshold would be cleared.

The people who did vote overwhelmingly backed the name change - more than 90pc voted Yes with 63pc of polling stations reporting. But that had never been in doubt, since opponents of the change had urged followers not to vote, rather than vote No.

"It is clear that the agreement with Greece has not received the green light from the people," main nationalist opposition VMRO-DPMNE party leader Hristiajn Mickoski said.

The referendum was itself not legally binding, but politicians had pledged to abide by it. The failure to reach the turnout threshold means opponents can now freely vote against the deal.

In an address, Mr Zaev made no mention of the turnout but said the votes of those who had backed the change must be respected. He pledged to hold a vote in parliament on the name change. </s> After voting finished in a name change referendum in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said that despite a “boycott” he expected that the majority voted “yes” and that the result should be reflected in Parliament.

 

 “Decisions are taken by those who vote. The vote is final and the decision of citizens cannot be ignored,” he said while calling the process a “success for democracy and for a European Macedonia.”

 

 Zaev said that the Prespes agreement will go to FYROM’s Parliament for ratification. If lawmakers fail to support the deal the country will go to elections, he added. </s> SKOPJE: Macedonia's prime minister vowed to push ahead with changing the country's name after voters approved it in a referendum, but the outcome looked uncertain Monday (Oct 1) as opponents said low turnout made the result void.

Premier Zoran Zaev wants to rename the Balkan state North Macedonia to end a long-running row with Greece and build ties with the West.

More than 90 per cent of the country's 1.8 million voters supported the name-change in Sunday's referendum, but only a third of the electorate turned out.

"More than 90 per cent of the total votes are 'yes', so now it is parliament's turn to confirm the will of the majority," Zaev said late Sunday.

But opponents of the move said the low turnout called the legitimacy of the referendum into doubt.

The head of the right-wing opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, Hristijan Mickoski, told reporters the government had "lost its legitimacy".

"RESPECT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE"

Through the name change, Zaev aims to open a path to integration with the West by settling the decades-long dispute with Greece.

Greece has its own northern province named Macedonia and has accused its northern neighbour of territorial ambitions.

Zaev and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras agreed in June on the name North Macedonia.

In return for the new name, Athens would drop its long-standing objections to the Balkan country joining the European Union and NATO.

Zaev now needs two-thirds of MPs to ratify the deal.

He has support from ethnic Albanian groups in his coalition but would also need to win over opposition lawmakers.

Mickoski said voters had responded to calls to boycott the referendum and called on the government to "respect the will of the people".

"More than 600,000 citizens voted 'yes'," read the front-page headline of the pro-government Sloboden Pecat newspaper.

"Referendum fails, Macedonia heads towards new elections," said the Vecer paper, which is close to the opposition.

For opponents, the vote was invalid under a constitutional provision requiring a 50 per cent turnout.

But Zaev insisted that because the referendum was only consultative a 50 per cent turnout was not needed.

The country has not held a census since 2002 and has a high emigration rate.

French Balkan specialist Loic Tregoures judged that the number of 1.8 million voters on the electoral roll was "inflated".

Zaev's ruling coalition has 69 MPs in the 120-strong assembly.

To gather the required two-thirds majority Zaev needs to convince at least a dozen MPs from the opposition to back the move.

If Zaev does not succeed he would have to call early elections in November.

"Zaev will not succeed in the parliament and we will soon have elections, which VMRO-DPMNE will lose," said political commentator Aco Abranov.

He recalled the party's poor results in the last election and internal wrangling since it lost power.

The EU on Monday hailed the vote as a step towards joining the bloc.

"This is a historic opportunity not only for reconciliation in the region, but also for decisively moving the country forward on its European Union path," EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said in a statement.

Western powers have told Macedonia that if they want to join EU and NATO there is no plan B.

"NATO's door is open, but all national procedures have to be completed," the military alliance's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg tweeted.

Reactions to the vote were mixed in Greece, where the government has faced pressure from nationalists over the deal.

Tsipras's coalition partner Panos Kammenos, head of the nationalist Independent Greeks party, has threatened to defect from the government over the Macedonia deal.

The Greek parliament must also ratify the agreement.

The Greek government has said it "remains committed" to the June agreement.

But "time is running out since Tsipras has taken a lot of risks," analyst Tregoures warned.

"Nothing says that the next Greek government will be on the same line." </s> Macedonia’s electoral commission has announced that the Sunday referendum to change the Balkan country’s name to the Republic of Northern Macedonia has failed to pass the necessary 50 percent turnout threshold. "On this referendum it is clear that the decision has not been made," the head of the electoral board, Oliver Derkoski, said. With some 94 percent of the ballots counted, the turnout stays at 36 percent. Over 90 percent of them voted “yes” to the question: “Are you in favor of NATO and EU membership, and accepting the name agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece?" Meanwhile, Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev said that the will of the people must be respected and approved by the Parliament despite the low turnout. Zaev said he would call for snap parliamentary elections if the lawmakers fail to deliver. The deal with Greece, agreed in June this year, proposes name change in return for the lifting of the Greek veto on Macedonia’s NATO and EU membership. EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn has already voiced support to the referendum, calling on all parties to “to respect this decision and take it forward with utmost responsibility and unity across party lines.”

to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.
91.5% of votes are in favor of the change. The voter turnout is only 36.9%, below the 50% threshold set by the government. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev still vows to propose the change in a parliament vote.