“It was very important for this day to be flawless, for it to be a real celebration of democracy, and for it to pass in a peaceful and democratic atmosphere so that all our citizens could exercise their right to vote without any pressure and threats. This was important for us ourselves, for our democracy, and for the credibility of our institutions. But I must repeat that this was also important for our Euro-Atlantic integration,” President Branko Crvenkovski said today after casting his ballot in the Skopje suburb of Kapistec, NetPress reports.

President Crvenkovski also expressed regret over the incidents that occurred this morning, adding, “I hope that all this will end, that we will be able to calm the situation, and that we will wind up this day in a manner that befits a country with democratic potential and state-building capacity”.