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Conservative leads Macedonia poll Conservative leads Macedonia poll
(about 4 hours later)
The candidate for Macedonia's ruling conservative party has taken the lead in presidential elections praised for their lack of violence. The candidate of Macedonia's governing conservatives has emerged as favourite for the presidency after a first-round vote praised for its lack of violence.
But partial results showed Gjorgje Ivanov, of the governing VMRO-DPMNE party, had not win enough votes to avoid a 5 April run-off. With nearly all votes counted, Gjorgje Ivanov of the VMRO-DPMNE party leads with 35%, followed by the Social Democrats' Ljubomir Frckoski on 20%.
The presidential and local polls were seen as crucial to Macedonia's hopes for joining the EU and Nato. The two candidates will face each other in a second round run-off on 5 April.
There was tight security, with thousands of extra police deployed. Earlier, the EU's envoy praised the "calm and positive atmosphere" of Sunday's presidential and local polls.
The electoral commission said voting went well during the day. "It seems that everything was in order," Erwan Fouere told reporters.
There were no reports of the kind of violence between rival ethnic Albanian parties that marred last June's parliamentary election. A peaceful vote was seen as crucial for Macedonia's drive to join the EU and Nato, after gun battles between rival ethnic Albanian parties marred last year's parliamentary election.
"It seems that everything was in order," said EU envoy Erwan Fouere. "It was a calm and positive atmosphere." A long-running dispute with Greece over Macedonia's name has also threatened the former Yugoslav republic's EU and Nato bids.
A dispute with Greece over its name has also threatened its EU and Nato bids. 'European values'
A total of seven candidates stood to replace President Branko Crvenkovski, who did not seek a second five-year term in the largely ceremonial post.
This is probably the last opportunity for quite some time for the country to show that it has not only the capacity, but also the political will, to organise elections in line with international standards Erwan FouereEU envoy to Macedonia
With ballots counted from 95% of polling stations, Mr Ivanov - the candidate of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE party - had established a clear lead with 35.06%, the election commission said.
He was followed by Ljubomir Frckoski, who is backed by the main opposition Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM), on 20.45%.
Trailing them were former Interior Minister Ljube Boskoski, who was acquitted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague last year, and ethnic Albanian leader Imer Selmani.
After the vote, Mr Ivanov said Macedonia's people had "proved that we have capacity to conduct fair and democratic elections".
"We have proved that European values live in Macedonia and that this country deserves to become an equal member of the EU and Nato," he added, calling for a strong turnout in the second round.
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, leader of the VMRO-DPMNE, hailed the vote as "one of the most successful" in Macedonia since independence in 1991.
Ljubomir Frckoski is backed by the main opposition party, the SDSM
But opposition parties complained of irregularities, including voter intimidation. The SDSM said the election had been "far from fair".
"We have had a day free of violence," SDSM spokesman Gjuner Ismail said. "But people were frightened by governing party supporters."
More than 500 international and around 7,000 local observers were on hand to monitor Sunday's vote.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will give its verdict on the conduct of the poll later on Monday, after which the electoral commission is expected to confirm the results.
Results from the local elections also held on Sunday meanwhile showed the VMRO-DPMNE party comfortably ahead, winning 18 of the 85 mayoral posts outright, compared with just three for the SDSM.
SnowSnow
Partial results showed Mr Ivanov - the candidate of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE party - to be ahead with more than 35% of the vote. Heavy snowfall had prevented 134 of almost 3,000 polling stations from opening on Sunday, but the electoral commission said the affected polling stations had 12,556 voters registered - less than 1% of the total 1.8 million eligible voters.
The race for second place was between Ljubomir Frckoski, who is backed by the Social Democratic SDSM, and former Interior Minister Ljube Boskoski, who was acquitted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague last year. This is probably the last opportunity for quite some time for the country to show that it has not only the capacity, but also the political will, to organise elections in line with international standards Erwan FouereEU envoy to Macedonia Heavy snowfall disrupted the vote in a minority of districts
Five other candidates are also running for the largely ceremonial presidency.
Final results were expected later on Monday.
Current President Branko Crvenkovski is not running for a second term.
Heavy snowfall prevented 134 of almost 3,000 polling stations from opening.
But Aleksandar Novakovski, head of the state electoral commission, said the affected polling stations had 12,556 voters registered - less than 1% of the total 1.8 million eligible voters.
It is expected that voting there will be repeated in two weeks.
Local polls were also being held simultaneously to elect mayors for 85 communities.
Name squabble
The three weeks of campaigning passed off mostly peacefully, with a few claims of voter intimidation.The three weeks of campaigning passed off mostly peacefully, with a few claims of voter intimidation.
One person was killed and several injured in ethnic Albanian areas of Macedonia during parliamentary elections in June 2008 that monitors said fell short of international standards.One person was killed and several injured in ethnic Albanian areas of Macedonia during parliamentary elections in June 2008 that monitors said fell short of international standards.
More than 500 international and around 7,000 local observers have been on hand to monitor Sunday's vote.
"So far so good," US Ambassador Philip Reeker said in an initial assessment of the poll.
Mr Fouere said the vote was "the last chance not to miss the train again to EU" membership.Mr Fouere said the vote was "the last chance not to miss the train again to EU" membership.
"This is probably the last opportunity for quite some time for the country to show that it has not only the capacity, but also the political will, to organise elections in line with international standards," he said. "This is probably the last opportunity for quite some time for the country to show that it has not only the capacity, but also the political will, to organise elections in line with international standards," the EU envoy said.
Last year, Greece said it would block Macedonia from joining Nato and the EU unless it compromises over its official name. Last year, Greece said it would block Macedonia from joining Nato and the EU unless it compromised over its official name. Macedonia is also the name of a northern region of Greece.
Macedonia is also the name of a northern region of Greece. In December 2008, Macedonia decided to take the issue of its name to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
In December 2008, Macedonia decided to take the issue of its name to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.