Izvor: N1 televizija, 31.Jul.2018, 11:26 (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)
Macedonians to vote on new name in September
The Macedonian Parliament voted in favour of holding a popular vote on September 30 to decide on the country's new name and kick off its Euro-Atlantic integration, the Beta news agency reported.
During the session held late on Monday, 68 MPs out of 120 voted in favour of the referendum and its question: “Are you in favour of the EU and NATO membership with the acceptance of the Agreement between the republics of Macedonia and Greece?”
The largest opposition party, >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu N1 televizija << nationalist VMRO-DPMNE and an ethnic Albanian political organisation left the session before the vote took place, opposing the deal with Athens that renamed Macedonia into North Macedonia and removed the obstacles Greece had put to Skopje’s Euro-Atlantic integration 27 years ago.
In an attempt to avoid possible political troubles, Macedonian authorities decide that the ballot will be advisory, meaning that half of some 900,000 eligible voters have cast their ballots and if 50 percent of them are in favour, the referendum will be successful.
“We have created conditions for Macedonia to become a part of the European family,” Tomislav Tuntev of the ruling Social-democrats said.
The two parties opposing the deal with Greece, and consequently the popular vote on the issue, accuse the government of “acting against the country’s interests,” adding the referendum’s questions was “ambiguous and manipulative” and that the advisory ballot opened space for different interpretations.
