Manipulations in the Elections for President of Students� Union Continue

06 February 2007

Representatives of the Youth Education Forum (MOF) are dissatisfied with the existing situation surrounding the student associations and the coming elections for President of the Students� Union at the Ss. Cyril and Method University in Skopje (SSUKM).

YEF points out that the tradition to schedule student elections as late as possible, during exam sessions and recesses, the series of election manipulations and fiddling, as well as the political parties� interference in the campaign activities that shed doubt on the legitimacy of the existing system of election of student representatives.

With the goal to improve the student organization in the country, MOF proposes that a student parliament is established � an institution of student representatives elected in direct elections. Both individual students and student organizations will be eligible for seats in the parliament.

MOF representatives addressed the political parties in Macedonia and appealed to them to follow the lead of one party that presented its position on its view and to say publicly whether they want Macedonia to remain the only country with monopolistic student organization in Europe.

The organization also demanded from the UKIM Office of the Chancellor to adopt and publicly present a clear position on the legitimacy and functionality of SSUKM.

MOF announced intensive cooperation with partner student organizations and will report, by the end of this week, the final list of partner organizations and planned activities for the period before the student elections.