Macedonia’s president seeks second term in election, the country’s 5th since independence

Ǵorge Ivanov (Wikipedia photo)

SKOPJE, Macedonia – Macedonia’s president is seeking a second term in the Balkan country’s fifth election since gaining independence following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Nearly 1.8 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots at 3,528 polling stations.

President Gjorge Ivanov is seeking a second, five-year term. Opinion polls say he’s the clear front-runner. The 53-year-old Ivanov is supported by the ruling conservative VMRO-DPMNE party. His main opponent, 51-year-old Stevo Pendarovski, is the candidate of the opposition Social Democrats.

If no candidate achieves an absolute majority, a runoff will be held April 27.