Skopje residents comment after vote approves name change
130 views · Published 6 October 2018 · 3:09 · Indexed 1 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(1 Oct 2018) Local residents reacted on Monday following the referendum on changing Macedonia's name as part of a deal that would pave the way for NATO membership. The deal won overwhelming support, but low voter turnout highlighted the hurdles that still remain. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev had hoped for a strong show of support in the referendum on whether to accept a June deal with Greece changing the country's name to North Macedonia. That would help him with the next step of winning parliamentary support for the required constitutional amendments. Results from more than 97 percent of polling stations showed 91.3 percent of voters approving the deal. But turnout stood at just 36.8 percent, a far cry from the massive support the government had hoped for. Opponents to the name change had called for a boycott of the vote and celebrated in the street outside Parliament when turnout figures were announced, chanting slogans and waving flags. Nevertheless, Zaev declared the vote a success. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/093e0ddd852c252a6a89652a0b84de76
