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A woman voted in a polling station during a referendum held in Skopje, Macedonia, on Sunday, September 30, 2018. Macedonians decided Sunday on the future of their country. They voted in a crucial referendum on the acceptance of a historic agreement ending several decades ago. old conflict with neighboring Greece by changing the name of their country to North Macedonia, paving the way for NATO membership. (Thanassis Stavrakis / Associated Press)
SKOPJE, Macedonia – Macedonians decided Sunday on the future of their country. They decided to accept a historic agreement ending a decades-long conflict with neighboring Greece by changing the name of their country to North Macedonia and paving the way for NATO membership.
The June agreement would put an end to a dispute dating back to the early 1990s, when Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Greece had argued that the use of 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.
Among the opponents in Macedonia, the country's president, Gjorge Ivanov, called the agreement a "flagrant violation of sovereignty". They called for a boycott of Sunday's referendum.
Voters were confronted 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 from Greece? "
The referendum was called as a non-binding advisory action. The distinction means that the government could consider the result as a faithful reflection of public opinion and act accordingly, regardless of the turnout. Under the country's constitution, a binding referendum would require a minimum turnout of 50% to be considered valid.
The campaign was relatively quiet, most posters were favorable to the campaign "Yes" led by the government.
Supporters of the deal, led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, stressed that the vote is the backbone of the country's future prosperity, the key to its ability to join NATO and, eventually, the European Union. . 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.
Djose Tanevski was among the first voters Sunday in Skopje, the capital.
"I came here for the future of our children, who should have a decent life, a life in a charming country, who will become a member of the European Union and NATO", a- he declared.
If the vote "yes" prevails, the government must then amend parts of the country's constitution to make sure that it contains nothing that can be considered irredentist against Greece. It is only after the approval of these amendments by the Parliament that the agreement is likely to be ratified in Greece.
The referendum sparked a keen interest for the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis have been among the highest foreign officials who recently visited Skopje to urge its citizens to vote "Yes".
There is growing concern about the reach of Russia, which does not want NATO to expand into a part of Europe that was once in its zone of 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.
The necessary constitutional amendments require the adoption of a two-thirds majority of the 120 members of Parliament. Until now, Zaev has received pledges of support from 73 to 7 less than the required number. A low turnout on Sunday could complicate his task by persuading more lawmakers that the name change deal with Greece 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.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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