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SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) – The Macedonians decided Sunday on the future of their country by deciding to accept a historic agreement ending a decades-long conflict with neighboring Greece by changing the name of their country to North Macedonia.
The June agreement would pave the way for membership of NATO and possibly the European Union, ending a dispute dating back to the early 1990s, when Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Greece had argued that the name implied territorial ambitions for its own province of the same name and blocked the country's efforts to join NATO.
But the deal has faced stiff opposition from both sides of the border.
Opponents in Macedonia called for a boycott of Sunday's referendum and include the country's president, Gjorge Ivanov, who calls the agreement "a flagrant violation of sovereignty".
Voters were faced with the following question: "Are you in favor of joining NATO and the European Union by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?
The referendum is non-binding, allowing the government to consider the result as a faithful reflection of the public opinion, regardless of the turnout. Under the country's constitution, a binding referendum would require a minimum turnout of 50%.
Supporters of the agreement, led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, focused on voting as pivotal to the future prosperity of the country, key to its ability to join NATO and eventually to l & # 39; EU. This would be a major step for a country that, less than two decades ago, has almost sunk into civil war, while parts of its ethnic Albanian minority have taken up arms against the government, seeking better rights.
Zaev voted in the city of Strumica, in the south-east of the country, and called on his fellow citizens to ensure a high turnout.
"I invite everyone to participate and make this serious decision for the future of our country, for future generations," Zaev said. "I expect a massive vote, a high turnout to confirm the multiethnic nature of this country and its political unity, whatever their party."
If the vote "yes" prevails, the government will then have to amend parts of the country's constitution to ensure that it contains nothing that can be considered irredentist against Greece. It is only after the approval of these amendments by the Macedonian Parliament that the agreement is likely to be ratified in Greece.
Djose Tanevski was among the first voters of Skopje, the capital.
"I came here because of the future of our children, who should have a decent life, a life in a beautiful country, who will become a member of the European Union and NATO", did he declare.
But others said that they had no intention of voting.
"I am disappointed with everything that happens in Macedonia," said 34-year-old Bojan Krstevski. "I can not give up my Macedonian identity, I do not want to be Macedonian from the north."
The referendum sparked a keen interest in the West, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis among senior foreign officials who recently visited Skopje to ask his constituents to vote "yes".
There is growing concern about the reach of Russia, which does not want NATO to expand in part of Europe once under its sphere of influence. influence. Mattis said that there was "no doubt" that Moscow had funded groups in Macedonia to campaign against the name change.
Even if the Macedonians vote in favor of the agreement, the agreement still faces several obstacles before it can be fully ratified.
Constitutional amendments required require a two-thirds majority of the 120 members of parliament. Until now, Zaev has received pledges of support from 73 lawmakers, including seven short-lived ones. A low turnout on Sunday could complicate his task by persuading more lawmakers that the name change agreement reflects the will of the people.
Once the constitutional amendments have been overcome, Greece will have to ratify the agreement.
But Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is facing his own problems. Its ruling coalition partner, the independence president of the Greeks at the time, Panos Kammenos, promised to vote against the agreement in Parliament, leaving Tsipras to depend on opposition parties and independent legislators to push the issue forward.
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Ivana Bzganovic in Skopje contributed to this report.
