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                                                                                         WORLD NEWS Tuesday 2 OcTOber 2018












































            Macedonia: Referendum deepens division over renaming country


            By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES                                                                                            the  outcome  was  a  valid
            ELENA BECATOROS                                                                                                     reflection of voters' will, say-
            Associated Press                                                                                                    ing  the  more  than  600,000
            SKOPJE,  Macedonia  (AP)                                                                                            people who voted in favor
            —  Macedonia's  govern-                                                                                             of  the  deal  was  far  more
            ment prepared for a politi-                                                                                         than the number that had
            cal battle Monday to push                                                                                           voted  for  any  politician  in
            through a deal with Greece                                                                                          Macedonia's short history.
            that would ultimately pave                                                                                          Macedonia's  international
            the way for NATO member-                                                                                            partners  called  for  parlia-
            ship,  after  the  agreement                                                                                        mentary  support  for  the
            won overwhelming support                                                                                            deal.
            in  a  referendum  but  with                                                                                        "We  urge  leaders  to  rise
            low voter turnout.                                                                                                  above partisan politics and
            The European Union, NATO,                                                                                           seize  this  historic  opportu-
            U.N. secretary-general and                                                                                          nity  to  secure  a  brighter
            the United States urged the                                                                                         future for the country as a
            small  Balkan  nation  coun-                                                                                        full  participant  in  Western
            try  to  move  forward  with                                                                                        institutions,"  U.S.  State  De-
            the  next  steps  required  to                                                                                      partment    spokeswoman
            enact  the  deal.  Macedo-                                                                                          Heather Nauert said .
            nia's  international  partners                                                                                      EU   Enlargement     Com-
            have  been  eager  to  see   A man walks along the Vardar riverside in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Oct. 1, 2018.     missioner  Johannes  Hahn
            the country join internation-                                                                      Associated Press  tweeted  he  expected  "all
            al  institutions,  in  a  region                                                                                    political leaders to respect
            where  Russia  hasn't  been  forward with the next step:   Macedonian       President  damental  freedoms  were  this decision and take it for-
            keen  on  NATO  picking  up  seeking a two-thirds major-  Gjorge  Ivanov,  a  conser-  "respected  throughout  the  ward  with  utmost responsi-
            new members.                 ity in the 120-member par-   vative opponent of Zaev's,  campaign" for the referen-    bility and unity across party
            Final  results  from  Sunday's  liament for required consti-  described  the  referendum  dum.                      lines."
            referendum  showed  that  tutional amendments.            as a failure and insisted the  But   Macedonia's   State  U.N.    Secretary-General
            among  the  36.9  percent  If the amendments do not  country  deserved  to  join  Electoral  Commission  cast  Antonio  Guterres  said  the
            of  registered  voters  who  pass,     Social-Democrat  NATO,  and  ultimately  the  doubt on the result.           overwhelming support from
            cast  ballots,  91.4  percent  Zaev  said  he  would  have  European  Union,  without  Commission  head  Oliver  Macedonians  who  voted
            supported  the  deal  that  no  choice  but  to  call  an  changing its name.          Derkoski said the Macedo-    "is important" and urged "all
            would  change  their  coun-  early election.              "Do  not  try  to  change  this  nian  Constitution  stipulates  political forces in the coun-
            try's  name  to  North  Mace-  Opponents  of  the  deal  reality.  Do  not  underesti-  a minimum 50 percent turn-  try  to  proceed  with  imple-
            donia.  In  return,  Greece  with  Greece,  arguing  that  mate  the  sovereign  will  of  out for a referendum to be  mentation," according to a
            would drop its longstanding  it  undermined  national  in-  the  Macedonian  people,"  considered binding.          statement from U.N. depu-
            objections  to  its  northern  terests,  had  advocated  a  Ivanov said. "And the real-  The  government  has  in-  ty spokesman Farhan Haq.
            neighbor being considered  voter  boycott  of  the  ref-  ity is that the referendum is  sisted the turnout threshold  Guterres   reiterated   the
            for NATO membership.         erendum.  They  seized  on  unsuccessful."                was  not  relevant,  saying  U.N.'s commitment "to pro-
            Macedonian  Prime  Minis-    Sunday's low turnout as evi-  International   observers,  it  called  the  referendum  vide all necessary support, if
            ter  Zoran  Zaev,  declared  dence  of  the  agreement's  headed  by  the  Organiza-   consultatively  to  provide  required" including through
            the  referendum  a  success  rejection.                   tion for Security and Coop-  an  indication  of  popular  his personal envoy and U.N.
            and  said  he  would  move  In  a  televised  address,  eration in Europe, said fun-   opinion. It also argued that  agencies, Haq said.q
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