Skopje, 26 January 2024 (MIA) – The President of the State Election Commission (SEC), Aleksandar Dashtevski, said Friday that the upcoming elections would cost EUR 17 million. Even though he said the Commission had requested more funds, he believes the sum will be sufficient for a successful organization of elections.

In an interview for TV 21, Dashtevski stressed that a portion of the funds will be intended for the media, i.e., the parties, for electoral marketing. He said the largest opposition party would receive 40 percent of the share, while the largest ruling party would receive 45 percent.

“In accordance with the law, 40 percent of funds go to the largest opposition party, 45 percent go to the largest ruling party, 7 percent to the parties who have their representatives in Parliament, and 3 percent to the other parties who do not have their representatives in Parliament,” clarified Dashtevski.

Asked if the elections can be organized properly since the State Election Commission lacks a member. Dashtevski said Parliament is the sole body capable of appointing a member, but, he said, according to the law, the Commission can operate as long as it has a majority.

“That means that if it has six members, it can still operate smoothly and legally. The State Election Commission can even work with four members. Our job is to organize the elections. We have experienced members, some of them are serving their second term, while some are in their third… We are ready for elections. If another member is elected – good, but if this doesn’t happen, it is legal for the Commission to operate even with six members,” added Dashtevski.

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