Electoral campaign

General preparation activities

National Roma Centrum (NRC) as non-governmental organization dealing with Roma issues, striving for active participation and integration of the Roma in the society and protection of the rights of every citizen actively was involved in campaign for the Parliamentary elections in Macedonia 2006. Our efforts to better the situation of Roma are focused on education and motivating Roma to increase the level of participation in the educational system and all forms of civil participation of Roma in the society. Starting from January 2006 we were working on the preparations for the project to be carried out as planned. Regarding our work on the project for these parliamentaryelections we were working to involve the young Roma population as active citizens in the society, to raise the awareness among the population in order to educate about the right to vote as human right and obligation. On the other hand using this right to vote Roma can be equal and legitimate part of the society as well. Our purpose of the accomplished project activities was to help the Roma integration in the society through conducting motivation and education for the electoral process in order to increase the level of Roma participation. Our work was concentrate on education and motivation for participation in the electorate process for these parliamentary elections which were held on 5 July 2006. At first it was necessary to examine the public opinion of the Roma and to make analysis of the situation on field and 100 of Roma were Kumanovo and Skopje were visited. From the direct contact with the Roma population we have concluded that Roma in general are not interested to participate on the elections, and this fact was proved also during the visits of several Roma settlements and municipalities in Macedonia. The promotion campaign material for education was consisted of 2000 brochures, 1000 T-shirts, 500 CD’s, 26 balls and one big transparent that were given to the people where the visits were made and these was provide for the participants in the football matches too.

Promotion of the Campaign “DZAN”

Starting from 13 June 2006 National Roma Centrum has officially started the campaign named “Dzan” (Romani word for go, know, used as expression in order to initiative activity, to send a message to the Roma voters to be active ctizens and to use their voting right). The purpose of the campaign as stated bellow was to educate the Roma population about the voting process and procedure and to motivate them as well. The campaign was started by the Project Manager of National Roma Centrum, Asmet Elezovski, on 13.06.2006 on meeting organized by ECMI, where different participants from NGO’s and political parties from Macedonia were involved. The meeting was organized in order to minimalize the irregularities during the election process. On this meeting the Roma representatives stated that they are going on the elections join in coalitions with Macedonian parties which are at power or in opposition. At the same day, Mr. Asmet Elezovski has given an interview for the National State TV-MTV, Programme in Romani language. From 13-16 of June a three day training was organized by NRC in the office of the association for the field educators. All 15 educators were trained about the electoral process and the past experience was used from the previous local elections, parliament and elections for President. Also it was mentioned that our strategy and method how to involve the voters will be by direct contact and visits of the Roma families through direct conversation. Roma NGO’s were involved in organization of the football matches. Also on 26 of June 2006 a pressconference was held in NGO Info Center, Skopje, for the media in order to inform them about the campaign, programme, and field of action and to invoke the Roma population to be active citizens on these parliamentary elections. In order to be effective in realization of the anticipated activities throughout the territory of Republic of Macedonia we have created two working teams on the field that worked on different parts of the state, including three regions-east’s, west’s and central region. We have contacted on 21 June the State Election Commission (SEC) and the Ministry of Interior and informed them as well for the activities of the campaign and for the activities of the field educators as well. On 23 of June we have received their support. On 24 of June the team of field educators was in the central region in Probistip and with direct contact with the Roma population the activity was realized and the brochures and T-shirts were given and the team has explained the importance of being participant as a voter on the elections. On the 25 of June the team was operating in Skopje, especially in the Municipality of Suto Orizari. In Skopje first football match was organized, among the Roma of the Municipality of Suto Orizari. Before that field educators were working in Kumanovo and Skopje, they have implemented the project activities as proposed, they gave the education material to the Roma voters. In the next period the team was operating in Kocani, Vinica and Stip visiting the Roma settlements, and in Vinica a football match was organized. On the 27 of June Berovo, Pehcevo and the village Crnik were visited by the team for east region. On 28 June Prilep was visited by the educators team and also a football match was held there, also the educators have realized the educational activities in Veles, Kavadarci, and Negotino. On 29 of June the team for education was operating in Kumanovo , and a tournament in football was organized in the settlement Banevo Trlo where mostly Roma live. Tetovo, Kicevo, and Bitola were visited by the team for the west region. At the beginning of July the municipalities of Gevgelija, Strumica, Radovis and Valandovo were visited. These were the last visited municipalities according to the project activities. In order to promote the campaign we have organized press conference to introduce us and our programme as well, several visits of the Roma communities were accomplished, distribution of educational materials underlining the right and obligation to vote with basic instructions, educational material stressing out basic remarks about the election process, and our idea was to promote tolerance and fair-play elections through football matches that were organized in addition to our campaign. These football matches were way to put the young Roma in a situation where they will promote fair-play as manner to be fair participants and promoters of the responsibility to take part of the electorate process. Seeing the process of elections as immense part to express the will of the citizens and to promote mutual understanding, tolerance, and awareness that Roma population can be equal participant in this process and the will and voice of the Roma citizens will be heard. Roma on elections are contributing in the process of building their role in the society. Also very important activity was accomplished on the Election Day, we have conducted monitoring and observation on the election process with authorization from the State Election Commission in several municipalities at polling stations together with NGO Association of Roma Women “Esma” from Skopje and other NGO “Roma S.O.S” from Prilep. The Election Day was in general calm and effectively conducted. Positive situation related to the elections was that Office of NRC was involved in Roma use your ballot wisely (RUBW) Project activities, accomplished by OSCE/ODIHR , financed by EU. After the Election Announcement Act passed by the President of the Parliament of Republic of Macedonia, he has announced on 20 April that Parliamentary elections will be held on 5 of July 2006. The elections were governed by comprehensive Election Code adopted in late March 2006. Although finalized only three months prior to the elections, it improved a more consistent basis for the conduct of the elections and established an improved electoral framework. The 120 members of the Parliament are elected according to a regional proportional system, twenty MP’s are elected from six election districts, whose boundaries are defines in the election code. For the first time, members and deputy members of the MEC’s (Municipality Election Commissions) and EB’s (Electorate Boards) were randomly selected from among civil servants, using a computerize database, rather than nominated by political parties. The State Election Commission (SEC) operated for the most part in an effective and collegial manner. Forms, instructions, and regulations for the conduct of voting were adopted within the legal deadlines and placed on the SEC website. Also the citizens have the right to check for free if they are on the voting list using the website of SEC. The Presidents and their deputies were selected from among State and municipal administration officials, while the other members and their deputies were selected from among public administration officials. During the election campaign the legal framework governing the media includes the Election Code, the Rules for Equal Media Representation and relevant provisions in the Law on Broadcasting Activities. For these parliamentary elections among the Roma candidates were: Mrs. Esma Redzepova as representative of a party named Democratic Alternative, where was carrier of the voting list. We may notice that Mrs. Redzepova is promoter for the development of the Roma women movement in Macedonia, but she wasn’t among the elected representatives in the structure of the new Macedonian Parliament. Mr. Nezdet Mustafa was nominated as representative of United Roma Party for Emancipation; he has joined to the coalition under the device “Macedonia forward, not backwards” -consisted by the party that was at power SDSM. Mr. Mustafa is elected by the voters as Roma representative for the Parliament. Another political representative of the Roma was Mr. Saban Saliu, as candidate nominated by the Roma Union, he has joined to the coalition that was consisted by the main opposite party VMRO-DPMNE under the device “Macedonia has strength”. He was also elected by the votes of the citizens. So we have two Roma representatives in the Macedonian Parliament.

The following positive features characterized the election process:

• A broad choice and variety of political views was available to the electorate, including within ethnic communities
• The consolidated legislation with the new Election Code (Official Gazette of Republic of Macedonia, number 40/06), provided a more consistent basis for the conduct of elections
• The Election Code introduced gender quotas for candidate lists and election administration bodies, as well as provisions aimed at guaranteeing adequate representation of national minorities in the election administration
• Positive measure was undertaken for example in the Municipality of Suto Orizari, a Roma woman, Councillor in the Office of Ombudsman of Republic in Macedonia, Vaska Bajramovska Mustafa during the election process was President of the Municipality Electorate Commission (MEC).
• The Election Day took place in generally calm environment and was conducted in an orderly manner in most of the country, the same regards for the polling stations in the Roma communities and settlements.

Conclusions

In general although Republic of Macedonia has brought National Strategy for the Roma, still nothing concrete is changed. The multiethnic society is improving, but poverty and illiteracy are yet main issues that Roma population is facing with. In order to improve the situation on Roma we need more activities of all relevant subjects, state authorities, NGO’s sector and civil society as well. We need active citizens that will strive towards mutual development through continuity of the proposed activities. When the election campaign was started certain mechanisms for manipulation were present but with smaller intensity from previous election processes held in Macedonia. In the same time we have noticed that with very slow paces the Roma community is improving regarding the level and percentage of the issue at the elections, mostly because they are illiterate, confused because are under pressure for their votes from many subjects. In some poverty settlements, Roma usually are taking products from markets in order to have enough food for the whole month, and are paying the products at the end of the month. The situation that has happened during the electoral campaign was the following, the owners were keeping the ID’s of the Roma population that were on loans list and they were influencing on the population for whom to vote on the day of the elections. Also we have received information and indications that some Roma can not use the right to vote due to a lack of civil registration and proper identity documents. On the other hand the Roma voters are disappointed and not motivated to vote because candidates going out on elections always have promised solving of issues that are facing with, but after the finish of the elections they are again and again forgotten. They were expressing common opinions towards the Roma representatives in the state authorities, and they were asking for concrete solution-a candidate a leader that can stand for them, for the needs of the Roma community a person who in fact will strive to improve the situation of Roma. The project is realised with the support of Roma Participation Program – Budapest