A 24-hour election silence prior to Sunday's polls entered into effect Friday midnight. For the last 20 days parties, coalitions and independent candidates had the chance to present their programs and candidates for MPs before citizens.

Sunday's vote begins at 7 a.m. and will last until 7 p.m. A total of 1,821,122 people are eligible to vote at 2,976 polling stations nationwide. They can choose from 18 lists with 1,679 candidates, vying for 120 MP seats.

The country is divided in six election units. For the first time three of the future MPs will represent Macedonian diaspora at the legislative body.

Nineteen lists of candidates have been submitted to the three election units abroad - Europe and Africa, North and South America, and Australia and Asia. A total of 7,258 Macedonian nationals expressed interest to exercise their voting right at the diplomatic-consular offices.

About 11.000 frail and sick individuals, 2,222 prisoners, 407 internally displaced persons and the Macedonian nationals living abroad will vote on June 4.

Elections will be monitored by 489 foreign and 7,341 domestic observers.

The State Election Commission said everything was ready for the election day.

President Ivanov pledges for peaceful and democratic elections

President of Republic of Macedonia Dr. Gjorge Ivanov pledged for conveyance of fair and democratic elections with which we will celebrate democracy and secure Macedonia’s position in the democratic world.

“I would like to call upon all our citizens to show respect for our country and for all the achievements during the last 20 years of our independence. And we need to demonstrate this on Sunday, on the elections day.” This was the message of President Ivanov form Rome, where he attended the celebration of 150th anniversary of Italy’s unification.

On Sunday, Macedonian President said, we need to celebrate democracy as the citizens will give their vote to the ones who will represent them in the Parliament during the next four years and will deliver decisions on Macedonia’s tasks set toward prompt realization of our strategic goals – EU and NATO membership.

The first parliamentary elections in FYRMacedonia were held in 1990. In 1994 FYRMacedonia held its second parliamentary elections. In 1998 the third parliamentary elections, 2002 the fourth parliamentary elections, 2006 the fifth parliamentary elections while the last parliamentary elections were held in 2008.

SEC: 53.86% turnout by 5 p.m.

Voter turnout in Sunday's parliamentary polls was 53.86% up to 5 p.m., says the State Election Commission (SEC).

SEC president Boris Kondarko told a news conference that 928.983 citizens went to polls up to 5 p.m. based on processed data from 2,775 out of 2,967 polling stations.

Voter turnout in the first election unit is 57.77%, in the second - 49.69%, in the third – 61.23%, in the fourth – 58.80%, in the fifth – 53.47% and in the sixth – 42.28%.

Kondarko assessed the turnout percentage was quite high, expecting the trend to resume in the final hour of the vote.

He also presented the preliminary information regarding turnout at Saturday's diaspora vote. Turnout in the seventh election unit (Europe & Africa) was 53.35%, in the eighth election unit (North & South America) - 68.21%, and in the ninth election unit (Australia & Asia) - 77.82%.

Kondarko said the voting process has been calm and free, hoping the trend would continue until the closure of polling stations, whereas all reported violations are checked.

High election turnout - 35.8% vote by 13.00

Based on information from 93.82 percent of the polling stations, 612,814 citizens, or 35.8 percent of the eligible voters, cast ballots by 13.00 hrs, said the State Election Commission.

The turnout was highest in the third constituency, where 40.82 percent of the eligible voters cast ballots by 13.00 hrs and lowest in the sixth constituency where 27.60 percent of the electorate went to the polls.

Boris Kondarko, President of the State Election Commission (DIK), informed that the vote had been carried out peacefully without any major problems.

DIK also has information about certain irregularities; more specifically, some citizens took photos of the ballots with their cell phones, which was reported by the election boards to the relevant institutions and legal sanctions will be taken in response.

According to MOST as well, the turnout is high and is higher than the one in 2008 in all constituencies except the sixth one. MOST registered new election irregularities at the polling stations, such reading the voters’ names out loud, taking photos of the ballots, proxy voting, propaganda materials at places where there should not have been any, etc.

Voter turnout by 10:00 is 14.02%

By 10 am based on processed information from 85.56 percent of the polling stations, in all nine constituencies (six in the Republic of Macedonia and three abroad), 14.02 percent of the eligible voters cast ballots, said Boris Kondarko, President of the State Election Commission (DIK) at the first press conference Sunday.

The turnout was the greatest in the third constituency, where 18.61 percent of the registered voters went to the polls by 10 am, and the lowest in the sixth constituency, where based on information from 98.31 percent of the polling stations, only 7.9 percent of the voters cast ballots.

DIK President Kondarko said that no reports of irregularities had so far been submitted to the Commission and that the vote was being carried out peacefully.

According to the monitors of the civic association MOST, since the opening of the polling stations irregularities have occurred at three polling stations, in Stip, Centar Zupa and Studenicani.