Macedonia Opposition Makes Fresh Election Fraud Claims

The opposition Social Democratic Party, SDSM, presented more tapes on Thursday that it says prove government officials and their associates committed blatant fraud in a key local election.

The ruling VMRO DPMNE party of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski committed " a classical election crime. They did not, and will not succeed," Martin Kostovski, the SDSM's leader in Kumanovo told a press conference in the northeastern town.

The opposition said tapes of illegally surveillance telephone conversations show the police helped the VMRO DPMNE in Kumanovo by obstructing opposition activities. Tapes also show the ruling party discussing bribing politicians from ethnic minorities.

The presented tapes feature what seems to be the voice of the Interior Minister, Gordana Jankuloska, discussing these underhand actions with other government ministers, party colleagues and police employees.

In one tape, the opposition said, Jankuloska's voice can be heard giving instructions to speed up a cash payment of 75,000 euro to the leader of a small ethnic Serbian Party that is part of Macedonia's ruling coalition.

Later, Jankuloska is heard discussing the matter with the VMRO DPMNE secretary general, Kiril Bozinovski, saying that other people would have take care of the business.

"I cannot in person deal with this kind of bandit work. I cannot, so I sent Dragi," Jankuloska's voice is heard explaining.

Bozinovski's voice is heard telling Jankuloska that he already paid 225,000 [presumably euros] to "the smaller ethnic comunities".

Another tape features the voice of Vice Prime Minister Vladimir Pesevski urging Jankuloska to use the police to stop cars that are known to be transporting opposition members on election day, and on a...